Graph module usage#

The graph module provides two exporters: 1. class diagram exporter to convert inmanta model into a [plantuml](https://plantuml.com/) class diagram 2. an instance diagram exporter that generates dot and png files based on a diagram definition.

Warning

This module is experimental code. It will not affect the result of what will be deployed. However the generation of diagram may not work very consist.

Class Diagrams#

Add following snippet to your model:

graph::ClassDiagram(name="my_diagram", moduleexpression=["std::.*"], header="""
skinparam monochrome true
skinparam shadowing false
set namespaceSeparator ::
left to right direction""")

then export using

inmanta -vv export  -j x.json --export-plugin=classdiagram
plantuml my_diagram.puml -tsvg

This will produce a class diagram for the module ‘std’.

Diagram definition#

Add following snippet to your model:

Add the graph filter file ./files/files_and_hosts.g

std::Host
std::File
std::File.host

This will filter all std::Host and std::File instance out of the model and add them to the graph. The statement std::File.host will add all the host relations of all the files to the graph as well.

to generate the graph

inmanta -vv export  -j x.json --export-plugin=graph

This will create a file my_graph.dot and my_graph.png

Install#

Add in the .inmanta file of your project in the config section graph to the export option. For example:

[config]
environment=f603387a-f1af-4148-a286-c4d309ef4ada
export=graph

When inmanta export is called, the compiler will not only send the resources to the orchestration server but also call the graph export plugin.

Settings#

The plugin has settings that can be added to the inmanta config file (.inmanta or other specified). All settings are set in the [graph] section.

  • output-dir: The location where all the generated graphs are stored.

  • types: A list of file types that should be generated. By default a png is generated. This list can contain multiple values

    seperated with commas. If only the dot file is required an empty value should be provided.

Diagram definition#

The export plugin searches in the complete configuration module to instances of graph::Graph. This instance defines the name of the generated file and a config attribute that provides the graph instruction by means of a very limited DSL.

Each line of the diagram DSL can contain empty lines, comments (start with #), an entity type with optional settings and relation definitions also with optional settings. The DSL selects both the entity instances and relations between these instances to show in a diagram.

Entity type#

Select all instance of a certain entity by specifying the full name of the type.

Between square brackets options can be specified:
  • label: The label of the instances. It can be either an attribute of the entity or a string indicated with double

    quotes. This string can contain formatters between curly braces {}. Between these braces name of the attributes can be used.

  • container: If set to true, this node will be treated as a container that can contain other nodes. See, type=contained_in

For example: ` std::File[label=path] std::Service[label="Service name {name}"] `

Entity relations#

With the full name of the entity and the name of the relation, edges between instances are added to the graph.

Between square brackets options can be specified:

  • label: The label on the edge. Either the name of the attribute when nothing is specified or a string with double quotes.

  • type: This can changes the relation type. The options are:
    • contained_in: This means that this relation indicates that the node should be placed inside the target node of the

      relation.