Layout hints
drumlin normally places everything for you. Hints adjust the result and keep the model readable. They describe relations, never coordinates. Hints work in component, package and state diagrams. Sequence and activity diagrams take their order from the file.
| Hint | Effect |
|---|---|
a left-of b, a right-of b | Horizontal order |
a above b, a below b | Vertical order |
align a b c | Places elements in the same rank |
Same rank
Connectors normally give each element its own rank. align overrides that and
places elements in one rank, which shortens a wide diagram.
diagram component "Without align"
component Gateway
component Auth
component Orders
Gateway --> Auth
Auth --> Orders
diagram component "With align"
component Gateway
component Auth
component Orders
Gateway --> Auth
Auth --> Orders
align Auth Orders
Forcing order
With direction right, above and below order elements within a rank.
diagram component "Metrics above Logs"
component App
component Logs
component Metrics
App --> Logs
App --> Metrics
Metrics above Logs
Along the diagram direction, a hint forces a rank order even with no connector.
diagram component "Order without connectors"
component Boot
component Init
component Run
Boot left-of Init
Init left-of Run
Hints across containers
A hint between elements in different containers applies to the containers that hold them.
package "Ingest" { component Reader }
package "Serve" { component Query }
package "Admin" { component Console }
Reader left-of Query
Console left-of Query