Structurizr DSL

Language reference | Demo

The Structurizr DSL (as mentioned on the ThoughtWorks Tech Radar - Techniques - Diagrams as code) allows you to create multiple diagrams based upon the C4 model, in multiple output formats, from a single DSL source file. There are a number of options for authoring workspaces with the Structurizr DSL.

Structurizr Lite

Recommended

Packaged as a Docker container, and designed for developers, Structurizr Lite provides a way to quickly work with a single workspace. It's free to use, and allows you to view/edit diagrams, view documentation, and view architecture decision records defined in a DSL workspace.

The auto-sync feature provides the ability to sync your local changes with a workspace stored on the Structurizr cloud service or an on-premises installation.

Structurizr CLI

Recommended

The Structurizr CLI is a command line utility, designed to be used in conjunction with the Structurizr DSL. It provides the ability to push/pull workspaces to/from the Structurizr cloud service or an on-premises installation, in additional to exporting the views defined in a DSL file to other formats (PlantUML, Mermaid, WebSequenceDiagrams, and Ilograph).

See Getting started with the Structurizr CLI and DSL for more information.

DSL editor

Not recommended

If you'd rather not use Structurizr Lite or the Structurizr CLI, the Structurizr cloud service/on-premises installation provides a basic online DSL editor. The editor provides some rudimentary syntax highlighting and the ability to use the DSL without installing any tooling, but it does not provide access to the full feature set of the DSL - see the comparison table below.

The DSL editor can be opened using the link on your workspace summary page.

Comparison

		DSL editor (and demo page) Not recommended
Diagrams
Documentation	`!docs`
Architecture decision records	`!adrs`
Branding logo	`logo`	HTTPS URLs (important notes) and data URIs only
Element style icons	`icon`	HTTPS URLs (important notes) and data URIs only
Workspace extension	`extends`	HTTPS URLs only
DSL includes	`!include`	HTTPS URLs only
Plugins	`!plugin`
Scripts	`!script`
Export to PlantUML, Mermaid, DOT, WebSequenceDiagrams, and Ilograph		Demo page only

Recommended workflow

Our recommended workflow is to use Structurizr Lite and/or the Structurizr CLI, and to store your DSL file(s) in source code control. If you use the online DSL editor, please note that (1) it does not provide access to the full feature set and (2) you should ensure your DSL is backed up outside of the Structurizr cloud service/on-premises installation.

Real-time collaboration

The DSL editor also supports real-time collaboration, which can be opened using the link on your workspace summary page.

Paid feature (not available with the free version)

Anybody who has owner, admin, or read-write role-based access to your workspace can click the same button to join your collaboration session. The collaborative editor currently functions as follows:

DSL source is synchronized in real-time.
Each user can click the "Render" button to render the DSL as one or more diagrams.
Clicking the "Save workspace" button will save the DSL definition, and automatically reload the diagrams for each collaborator.

At the moment, diagram layout changes (moving elements, adding vertices to relationships, etc) are not synchronized until the workspace is saved. This feature may be added at a later date.