diagrams-as-code_skill

Overview

This skill helps you create, generate, and update architecture diagrams using the Python diagrams library (mingrammer/diagrams). It produces Python scripts that render to image files via Graphviz and reports the output path. Use it for cloud, infrastructure, network, Kubernetes, on-prem, and custom-node diagrams authored as code.

How this skill works

I inspect the requested architecture and produce a standalone Python script that uses diagrams, clusters, nodes, edges, and optional custom icons. I always set show=False, recommend Graphviz and diagrams checks, and choose sensible defaults for direction, output format, and styling. I provide runnable examples, file naming, and commands to execute the script and where the image will appear.

When to use it

• When you ask to draw, generate, or update an architecture or infrastructure diagram
• When code imports from diagrams, diagrams.aws, diagrams.gcp, diagrams.azure, diagrams.k8s, diagrams.onprem, or diagrams.custom
• When you want diagrams as code for versioning, review, or CI generation
• When you need exportable images (png, svg, pdf) from a programmatic diagram definition
• When you want to mix provider nodes, clusters, and custom icons in one diagram

Best practices

• Check prerequisites first: Graphviz (dot) and the diagrams package before running scripts
• Always set show=False so scripts run non-interactively (CI, servers, terminals)
• Assign frequently-referenced nodes to variables to avoid duplicated nodes and merge edges where appropriate
• Use Cluster for subnets or logical groups and prefer TB for layered architectures, LR for pipelines
• Prefer transparent background or multiple outformats when embedding diagrams into docs or slides

Example use cases

• Generate an AWS service topology with ELB -> EC2 -> RDS and export both png and svg
• Create a Kubernetes diagram showing Deployments, Pods, and Services with Cluster grouping for namespaces
• Produce a network diagram combining on-premise firewalls, load balancers, and cloud connectors with custom icons
• Convert a high-level system flow into a left-to-right pipeline diagram for onboarding docs
• Automate diagram generation in CI to keep architecture visuals in sync with infrastructure changes