Library

As you begin to describe more architectures within your team, the number of diagrams will grow. Additionally, many of these diagrams will share some architectural elements.

While diagrams-as-code is a powerful approach, it also introduces some common pitfalls of software development, such as code duplication.

Consider the following scenario:

"Your team reuses an important architectural element (e.g., a CDN) across all systems. As a consequence, the same PlantUML code of this architectural element is included in many of your diagrams. At a certain point, your team decides to change the technology of this architectural element, requiring you to update all the diagrams."

This scenario introduces several problems:

• Manual Refactoring: Duplicated code necessitates manual refactoring to update all occurrences whenever a change is required.
• Inconsistent Diagrams: Manual refactoring is prone to errors. You might accidentally skip some occurrences, resulting in an inconsistent description of the architecture.
• Low Productivity: Manually recreating parts of a diagram multiple times can slow down your work.

And this is where the Mina Library comes in with the following features:

• Elements Reuse: Create an element in the library and simply import it into your diagrams.
• Diagrams Synchronization: If you need to change a reused element, update it in the library. Mina will automatically synchronize all the diagrams with the updated data.

Usage

Creating an element in the library

1. Click on the library icon () in the sidebar
2. Select the type of the C4 element you want to create
3. Click on the create button at the top-right
4. Fill the form with the required info
5. Click on the save button

Importing a library element in a diagram

1. Open a diagram
2. Place the cursor at the line of the code editor where you want to add the PlantUML code of the library element
3. You have two options:
   1. Right mouse click -> "Import from the library"
   2. Click on the icon in the toolbar of the editor
4. In the dialog, select the C4 element type to import from the library
5. Select the element from the table
6. The dialog will close, and the PlantUML code of the selected element will be added in the code editor

Modifying a library element

1. Click on the library icon () in the sidebar
2. Select the type of the C4 element you want to modify
3. You have two options:
   1. Click on the row of the element you want to modify
   2. Click on the icon ... and then open
4. Modify the element
5. Click on the save button
6. Mina will synchronize all diagrams that import the modified element with the updated data

Deleting a library element

1. Click on the library icon () in the sidebar
2. Select the type of the C4 element you want to delete
3. Click on the icon ... and then delete