mermaid is a javascript based tool that utilizes a markdown inspired syntax to generate documentation, which is actually quicker, less complicated and more convenient than traditional diagramming software. This is a relatively straightforward solution to a major hurdle in software teams, Knowledge Transfer and Documentation
# The primary objective of mermaid is to help in addressing the problem of Documentation Rot.
- The Advantages of mermaid include its ease of generation, modification and rendering.
- The number of integrations that it has.
- It is a package that can be deployed to create
## Creating and Maintaining Diagrams is an expensive and frustrating process.
Anyone who has used Visio, or (God Forbid) Excel to make a Gantt Chart, knows how hard it is to make, edit and maintain good visualizations.
In an environment of constantly changing information , diagrams/charts become obsolete/inaccurate very fast. This hobbles the information transfer and productivity in teams.
The fast setting Doc-Rot in diagrams makes it quite hard to rationalize taking hours in a desktop application, to produce a diagram that you would need to recreate again the following week in order to account for updates and changes in the app you are documenting. Yet that is often the reality for diagrams and charts.
## This is a source of frustration for developers, engineers or any subject matter experts, not to mention it costing companies in missed productivity.
mermaid can potentially cut down the amount of time, effort and the learning curve that is associated with creating diagrams and charts. Because, the text base for diagrams can be edited easily, to modify the product, it can also be part of production scripts (and other pieces of code). So less time needs be spent on documenting, as a separate task.
## The mobility that mermaid provides can help Documentation catch up with Development in quickly changing projects.
Being based on markdown, mermaid can be used, not only by accomplished front-end developers, but by most computer savvy people to render simple diagrams, at much faster speeds.
In fact one can pick up the syntax for it quite easily from the examples given.
