What is Graphviz

Graphviz was born from AT&T's Bell Labs as an open source (EPL licensed), cross-platform scripted automated drawing software tool. Graphviz uses a DSL language called dot language to write a Script File script file, and then uses the Layout layout engine to parse this Script File script file to complete automated layout rendering.

The operating environment of this tutorial: Windows 7 system, Dell G3 computer.

What is Graphviz?

Graphviz (Graph Visualization)is an open source(EPL authorized ),Cross-platformscripted automated drawing software tool.GraphvizUse a

language calleddotlanguage to writeScript File script file, and then useLayout layout engineto parse thisScript File script fileto completeautomated layout rendering.##AT&Tis one of the three major telecom operators in the United States. Now the telecom operator industry in the United States has been forcibly broken up since the original

After the merger, a competitive situation was formed. The predecessor of

AT&TisBell Telephone Company,
Bell Telephone Companyis the company that invented the telephone.In the world of IT software,Bell Labscreated a series of great inventions such asUnixand
C language.GraphvizScript files generally have the file extension

.gv

.dot, becauseMicrosoft Office WordThe extension of the template file is also.dot. To avoid conflicts, it is generally recommended that the extension ofGraphvizscript files be saved as.gv.Note: In Graphviz, the worddot

Graphviz

's

Script script
• 's language name/grammar name

  #Graphviz

  's
One of the

• LayoutThe name is also one ofCLICommand nameGraphviz

One of them

• Script File (script file)Common extensionsWhy use Graphviz?

Automatic typesetting is more efficient:

Graphviz
• is mainly used to draw "relationship diagrams",

  GraphvizAutomatic typesetting is With "minimized line crossing",Graphviz's automatic layout is better than "What You See Is What You Get" drawing software (such as:Omnigraffle,Microsoft Office Visio, etc. )Text file management is more convenient:

VCS (Version Control System version control system)
• "What you see is what you get" painting software The generated files cannot be effectively versioned, while the text files can be effectively versioned in

  VCSOther automated drawing tools The basis of:

Graphviz
• is the basis of other automated drawing tools (such as

  PlantUML, etc.), and is also the basis of manyData Visualization data visualizationtools, somewhat similar The role ofMatplotlibinPythonThe basic structure and usage process of Graphviz

Graphviz## The basic structure of # includes two parts:

and

.Script script filemainly includes two parts:Elements entityand

.Elements entitymainly includes three types:Graph,

, andEdge connection.Remarks: If you need to callGraphvizin the software,

also provides

C/CPP,##APIof #Java,Python,phpand other languages.The basic structure of Graphviz

Graphviz

General usage process of Graphviz

MacOS standalone client for Graphviz


digraph gv_basic_structure{ label=<Graphviz基本组成结构>; labelloc=t; bgcolor=transparent; node[shape=box]; //edge[style=bold]; graphviz[label="Graphviz"]; subgraph{ layout[label="Layouts"]; script[label="Script Files"]; api[label="APIs"] rank=same; } graphviz -> layout; graphviz -> script; graphviz -> api; script -> subgraph{ element[label="Elements"]; attribute[label="Attributes"]; rank=same; } layout -> subgraph{ layout_etc[label="......"]; layout_dot[label="dot"]; layout_neato[label="neato"]; } element -> subgraph{ ele_graph[label="Graph"]; ele_node[label="Node"]; ele_edge[label="Edge"]; } }