I’ve been working on a diagram DSL called Runiq, and just released the first version.
I’ve spent a lot of time working with diagram tooling in general, and was even a member of the MermaidJS team, so I’ve seen firsthand where these tools shine, and where they start to feel a little rigid.
Runiq grew out of that experience.
The core idea is a bit different from most diagram tools:
Instead of defining diagrams strictly by type (flowchart, UML, etc.), Runiq lets you compose diagrams within a shared system.
In the main “diagram” profile, you can:
- Mix shapes from different diagram styles
- Combine flow, structure, and relationships
- Reuse styling and layout concepts
Some diagram types (like sequence diagrams, timelines, family trees, and technical schematics) live in separate profiles because they have specialized rules, but they still share underlying concepts where possible.
It also includes “glyphsets” (SmartArt-style layouts) for quickly building common diagram patterns.
Output:
Runiq generates clean, standards-compliant SVG (no HTML-based rendering), so it works well in places like PowerPoint and other strict SVG consumers.
Tradeoffs:
- More structured DSL vs Mermaid’s lightweight markdown-style syntax
- Smaller ecosystem compared to Mermaid/PlantUML
- Not all diagram types are composable (some are intentionally separate)
I’ve been working on a diagram DSL called Runiq, and just released the first version.
I’ve spent a lot of time working with diagram tooling in general, and was even a member of the MermaidJS team, so I’ve seen firsthand where these tools shine, and where they start to feel a little rigid.
Runiq grew out of that experience.
The core idea is a bit different from most diagram tools:
Instead of defining diagrams strictly by type (flowchart, UML, etc.), Runiq lets you compose diagrams within a shared system.
In the main “diagram” profile, you can:
- Mix shapes from different diagram styles - Combine flow, structure, and relationships - Reuse styling and layout concepts
Some diagram types (like sequence diagrams, timelines, family trees, and technical schematics) live in separate profiles because they have specialized rules, but they still share underlying concepts where possible.
It also includes “glyphsets” (SmartArt-style layouts) for quickly building common diagram patterns.
Output:
Runiq generates clean, standards-compliant SVG (no HTML-based rendering), so it works well in places like PowerPoint and other strict SVG consumers.
Tradeoffs:
- More structured DSL vs Mermaid’s lightweight markdown-style syntax - Smaller ecosystem compared to Mermaid/PlantUML - Not all diagram types are composable (some are intentionally separate)
Docs: https://docs.runiq.org/ GitHub: https://github.com/quipolabs/runiq
I have also built an editor to play around with the concepts: https://editor.runiq.org
Happy to answer questions.
If you’re coming from Mermaid or PlantUML, I’d especially be interested in:
- where this feels better - where it feels worse - anything that feels confusing or missing