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Mermaid Diagram Documentation

This directory contains mermaid diagram source files and a reusable theme for blog post visualizations.

Overview​

  • Source files (.mmd): Text-based diagram definitions
  • Generated files (.png): Rendered diagram outputs
  • Theme (watercolor-theme.json): Reusable styling for consistent visual identity

Theme: Watercolor​

The watercolor theme provides warm, cohesive styling that matches the portable context blog hero illustration. It emphasizes readability on light backgrounds with:

  • Color palette: Warm earth tones (cream #fef9f5, peach #f5e6d3, warm-brown #d4896b)
  • Typography: Clear hierarchy via font-weight and font-size variations
  • Styling: Rounded corners (12px primary, 10px secondary) and medium strokes (2.5-3px)
  • Background: Off-white cream (#fef9f5) for luminous effect

Color Reference​

NameHexUse
cream#fef9f5Main background
peach#f5e6d3Primary nodes
warm-cream#fdf4e8Secondary nodes
light-peach#f9ead8Tertiary nodes (e.g., decision points)
warm-brown#d4896bPrimary borders, connector lines
muted-brown#b8836fSecondary borders
tan#c9956bConnector lines
dark-brown#3d2817Text color

How to Apply the Theme​

In a New Mermaid Diagram​

Copy the themeVariables block from watercolor-theme.json into your diagram's init block:

Then use standard mermaid syntax for diagram elements.

File Naming Convention​

Blog diagrams follow this naming pattern for version control clarity:

{date}-{blog-slug}-{diagram-name}.mmd
{date}-{blog-slug}-{diagram-name}.png

Example:

  • Source: 2026-07-17-capture-layer-for-portable-context-capture-layer-architecture.mmd
  • Output: ../media/2026-07-17-capture-layer-for-portable-context/capture-layer-architecture.png

Media folder: ../media/{date}-{blog-slug}/

Regenerating Diagrams​

To regenerate PNG files from updated mermaid source:

cd website/blog/mermaid

# Regenerate a single diagram
mmdc -i 2026-07-17-capture-layer-for-portable-context-capture-layer-architecture.mmd \
     -o ../media/2026-07-17-capture-layer-for-portable-context/capture-layer-architecture.png

# Regenerate all diagrams for a post (example: 2026-07-17)
for f in 2026-07-17-capture-layer-for-portable-context-*.mmd; do
  name=$(echo "$f" | sed 's/^2026-07-17-capture-layer-for-portable-context-//' | sed 's/\.mmd$//')
  mmdc -i "$f" -o "../media/2026-07-17-capture-layer-for-portable-context/${name}.png"
done

Customization​

Changing Colors​

Edit watercolor-theme.json or override themeVariables directly in a diagram's init block:

Node Styling​

Apply inline styles for emphasis:

Use the nodeStyles object in watercolor-theme.json as templates:

  • primary: Main emphasis (bold, large font)
  • secondary: Supporting elements (medium emphasis)
  • tertiary: Details (lighter emphasis)
  • muted: Reference/background (least emphasis)
  • subgraph: Container grouping

Scope Bounding​

Use subgraphs with distinct borders to show implemented vs. future work:

  • Solid borders (3px): Implemented content (This Post)
  • Dashed borders (2px): Future content (Future Posts)

Syntax Reference​

Flowchart​

Shapes:

  • [text] → rectangle
  • {text} → diamond (decision)
  • (text) → rounded rectangle
  • [(text)] → database/storage
  • [[text]] → subroutine

Subgraph (Grouping)​

Connections​

  • --> → solid arrow (default)
  • -->|label| → arrow with label
  • -.-> → dotted arrow
  • -.- → dotted line

Best Practices​

  1. Keep labels short (<50 chars) for readability
  2. Use consistent emoji conventions (✅ done, 🚀 future, ⚠️ warning)
  3. Limit diagram complexity (5-7 levels deep, <15 nodes for flowcharts)
  4. Apply watercolor theme to all blog diagrams for visual cohesion
  5. Use node styles consistently (same semantic use = same style)
  6. Test on both light and dark backgrounds (theme designed for light)

Troubleshooting​

Diagram not rendering:

  • Check mermaid syntax: https://mermaid.live/ for live editor
  • Verify themeVariables are valid hex colors
  • Ensure quotes match (" or ', not mixed)

Colors look different than expected:

  • Verify themeVariables hex values match desired colors
  • Check inline style statements override themeVariables correctly
  • Note: PNG output quality depends on mmdc version — npm install -g @mermaid-js/mermaid-cli@latest

Text not readable:

  • Increase font-size in themeVariables or node styles
  • Ensure text color (#3d2817) contrasts with background (#fef9f5)
  • Use lighter backgrounds for dark text, darker text for light backgrounds

Resources​