YEd
Encyclopedia
yEd is a freely available, general-purpose diagramming software
with a
multi-document interface.
It is a cross-platform application written in Java
that runs on Windows, Linux
, Mac OS
, or any platform that supports the JVM
.
yEd can be used to draw different kinds of diagrams: flowchart
s, network diagram
s,
UML diagrams, BPMN diagrams, mind map
s, organization charts,
Entity Relationship diagrams, and many other.
A palette provides access to a variety of symbols both specific to certain diagram
types, like, e.g., UML class diagrams
, or BPMN diagrams, but also general-purpose
geometric shapes.
It is possible to import custom representations for diagram elements in vector graphics
format (SVG) or bitmap graphics format (PNG, JPG, etc.)
yEd loads and saves diagrams from/to GraphML
, an XML-based format.
The application can print diagrams including very large diagrams that span multiple pages.
The name "yEd" stems from the concatenation of the letter "y" and the abbreviation "Ed", from editor. yEd is pronounced similar to "Wyatt" (see External links).
.
Layout styles include e.g. force-based layout,
hierarchical layout (for flowcharts, e.g.), orthogonal layout (for UML class diagrams), or tree layout (for organization charts).
Import formats include the Microsoft Excel
.xls format for spreadsheet
data, the Gedcom
format for genealogical
data, and also arbitrary XML-based file formats, which are transformed by means of XSLT stylesheets.
Predefined XSLT stylesheets provided by yEd can process the Apache Ant build script
format used to define dependency information in software build processes and the OWL
file format for the description of ontologies.
Other XML-based data is processed in a generic way.
yEd can export diagrams to various formats, including bitmap-based graphics file formats, like, e.g., GIF
, JPEG
, PNG, EMF
, and BMP, as well as vector graphics file formats like PDF, EPS
, and SVG
.
Further output options include SWF
(Shockwave Flash) file format and HTML image map
generation where bitmap-based graphics files are embedded into an HTML page.
The structural information of a diagram can be exported to GML
(Graph Modeling Language) format and TGF
(Trivial Graph Format) format.
Third-party resources
Diagramming software
Diagramming software is a computer program that is used to produce graphical diagrams. Diagrams are used in software and business to represent dataflows, workflows and software architecture.- Flowchart :* ARIS Express * Creately...
with a
multi-document interface.
It is a cross-platform application written in Java
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
that runs on Windows, Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, Mac OS
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
, or any platform that supports the JVM
Java Virtual Machine
A Java virtual machine is a virtual machine capable of executing Java bytecode. It is the code execution component of the Java software platform. Sun Microsystems stated that there are over 4.5 billion JVM-enabled devices.-Overview:...
.
yEd can be used to draw different kinds of diagrams: flowchart
Flowchart
A flowchart is a type of diagram that represents an algorithm or process, showing the steps as boxes of various kinds, and their order by connecting these with arrows. This diagrammatic representation can give a step-by-step solution to a given problem. Process operations are represented in these...
s, network diagram
Network diagram
A computer network diagram is a schematic depicting the nodes and connections amongst nodes in a computer network or, more generally, any telecommunications network.-Symbolization:...
s,
UML diagrams, BPMN diagrams, mind map
Mind map
A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Especially in British English, the terms spidergram and spidergraph are more common, but they can cause confusion with the term spider diagram used in mathematics...
s, organization charts,
Entity Relationship diagrams, and many other.
A palette provides access to a variety of symbols both specific to certain diagram
types, like, e.g., UML class diagrams
Class diagram
In software engineering, a class diagram in the Unified Modeling Language is a type of static structure diagram that describes the structure of a system by showing the system's classes, their attributes, operations , and the relationships among the classes.- Overview :The class diagram is the main...
, or BPMN diagrams, but also general-purpose
geometric shapes.
It is possible to import custom representations for diagram elements in vector graphics
format (SVG) or bitmap graphics format (PNG, JPG, etc.)
yEd loads and saves diagrams from/to GraphML
GraphML
GraphML is an XML-based file format for graphs. The GraphML file format results from the joint effort of the graph drawing community to define a common format for exchanging graph structure data...
, an XML-based format.
The application can print diagrams including very large diagrams that span multiple pages.
The name "yEd" stems from the concatenation of the letter "y" and the abbreviation "Ed", from editor. yEd is pronounced similar to "Wyatt" (see External links).
Automatic layout
Diagrams can be automatically arranged using different layout styles, mathematical algorithms used in graph drawingGraph drawing
Graph drawing is an area of mathematics and computer science combining methods from geometric graph theory and information visualization to derive two-dimensional depictions of graphs arising from applications such as social network analysis, cartography, and bioinformatics...
.
Layout styles include e.g. force-based layout,
hierarchical layout (for flowcharts, e.g.), orthogonal layout (for UML class diagrams), or tree layout (for organization charts).
Data exchange
yEd can import data in various formats to generate diagrams out of it.Import formats include the Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is a proprietary commercial spreadsheet application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications...
.xls format for spreadsheet
Spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is a computer application that simulates a paper accounting worksheet. It displays multiple cells usually in a two-dimensional matrix or grid consisting of rows and columns. Each cell contains alphanumeric text, numeric values or formulas...
data, the Gedcom
GEDCOM
GEDCOM, an acronym for GEnealogical Data COMmunication, is a proprietary and open de facto specification for exchanging genealogical data between different genealogy software...
format for genealogical
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
data, and also arbitrary XML-based file formats, which are transformed by means of XSLT stylesheets.
Predefined XSLT stylesheets provided by yEd can process the Apache Ant build script
Apache Ant
Apache Ant is a software tool for automating software build processes. It is similar to Make but is implemented using the Java language, requires the Java platform, and is best suited to building Java projects....
format used to define dependency information in software build processes and the OWL
Web Ontology Language
The Web Ontology Language is a family of knowledge representation languages for authoring ontologies.The languages are characterised by formal semantics and RDF/XML-based serializations for the Semantic Web...
file format for the description of ontologies.
Other XML-based data is processed in a generic way.
yEd can export diagrams to various formats, including bitmap-based graphics file formats, like, e.g., GIF
GIF
The Graphics Interchange Format is a bitmap image format that was introduced by CompuServe in 1987 and has since come into widespread usage on the World Wide Web due to its wide support and portability....
, JPEG
JPEG
In computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
, PNG, EMF
Windows Metafile
Windows Metafile is a graphics file format on Microsoft Windows systems, originally designed in the 1990s. Windows Metafiles are intended to be portable between applications and may contain both vector graphics and bitmap components....
, and BMP, as well as vector graphics file formats like PDF, EPS
Encapsulated PostScript
Encapsulated PostScript, or EPS, is a DSC-conforming PostScript document with additional restrictions which is intended to be usable as a graphics file format...
, and SVG
Scalable Vector Graphics
Scalable Vector Graphics is a family of specifications of an XML-based file format for describing two-dimensional vector graphics, both static and dynamic . The SVG specification is an open standard that has been under development by the World Wide Web Consortium since 1999.SVG images and their...
.
Further output options include SWF
SWF
SWF is an Adobe Flash file format used for multimedia, vector graphics and ActionScript. Originating with FutureWave Software, then transferred to Macromedia, and then coming under the control of Adobe, SWF files can contain animations or applets of varying degrees of interactivity and function.,...
(Shockwave Flash) file format and HTML image map
Image map
In HTML and XHTML , an image map is a list of coordinates relating to a specific image, created in order to hyperlink areas of the image to various destinations . For example, a map of the world may have each country hyperlinked to further information about that country...
generation where bitmap-based graphics files are embedded into an HTML page.
The structural information of a diagram can be exported to GML
Graph Modelling Language
Graph Modelling Language is a hierarchical ASCII-based file format for describing graphs. It has been also named Graph Meta Language.-Example:A simple graph in GML format:graph [ comment "This is a sample graph" directed 1 id 42...
(Graph Modeling Language) format and TGF
Trivial Graph Format
Trivial Graph Format is a simple text-based file format for describing graphs. It consists of a list of node definitions, which map node IDs to labels, followed by a list of edges, which specify node pairs and an optional edge label...
(Trivial Graph Format) format.
See also
- Dia
- GraphvizGraphvizGraphviz is a package of open-source tools initiated by AT&T Labs Research for drawing graphs specified in DOT language scripts. It also provides libraries for software applications to use the tools...
- Diagramming softwareDiagramming softwareDiagramming software is a computer program that is used to produce graphical diagrams. Diagrams are used in software and business to represent dataflows, workflows and software architecture.- Flowchart :* ARIS Express * Creately...
- List of UML tools
External links
Third-party resources
- GraphML Generator - PHP script that can be used to generate UML diagrams from PHP classes using GraphML