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Diagram Set Fundamentals

A Diagram Set is the structural backbone of Architecture Diagrams in Nodinite. It groups related C4 views into one coherent, navigable architecture story and keeps those views connected through shared Repository bindings.

What a Diagram Set Organizes

A set groups all relevant architecture views for one subject.

Repository
└── Architecture Diagrams
    └── Diagram Sets
        └── Order-to-Cash
            ├── L0 - System Landscape
            ├── L1 - Context
            ├── L2 - Container (ERP)
            ├── L2 - Container (Portal)
            ├── L3 - Component (INV-Order-Invoiced)
            ├── Dynamic - Runtime Checkout Flow
            └── Deployment - Production

This structure keeps communication, design, and runtime understanding aligned under one named set instead of spreading diagrams across disconnected files.

Why Sets Matter

Without sets With Diagram Sets
L1 and L2 diagrams are isolated documents Context, Container, and Component views stay connected
Teams search manually for follow-up diagrams Drill-through navigation points to relevant next-level diagrams
Diagram names drift and duplicate over time Repository bindings keep entity identity consistent
Work-in-progress and published views mix together Draft, Active, Archived lifecycle gives clear governance

How Drill-through Navigation Works

Drill-through is created when diagrams in the same set share the same bound Repository entity.

Example:

  • L1 Context references System: ERP
  • L2 Container is scoped to the same System: ERP
  • Nodinite creates a drill-through link from the L1 ERP node to that L2 diagram

The same pattern applies from L2 to L3 when a container node and a component diagram share the same underlying entity scope.

The Related Diagrams panel on diagram pages lists these discovered links so users can move between levels quickly.

Diagram Lifecycle States

Every diagram in a set has one lifecycle state:

State Meaning
Draft Work in progress for editing and validation
Active Current published diagram shown as canonical view
Archived Older historical version retained for reference

Only one Active diagram per type and scope is allowed in a set. Promoting a Draft to Active archives the previous Active version.

Core Routes in the User Journey

Route Purpose
/repository/architecture/sets Browse and create Diagram Sets
/repository/architecture/sets/{setId} Open one set and view grouped diagrams
/repository/architecture/sets/{setId}/diagrams/{id}/view Read-only Mermaid viewer
/repository/architecture/sets/{setId}/diagrams/{id}/mermaid Raw Mermaid source
/api/repository/architecture/sets/{setId}/diagrams/{id}/export.{format} Export as PNG, SVG, or Draw.io

Operational Guidance

  • Keep one set per architectural subject so drill-through remains intuitive
  • Use Draft for collaborative design reviews before promotion
  • Use Active for stakeholder-facing architecture
  • Keep Archived diagrams for traceability and change history

For set-wide maintenance workflows, use Diagram Assistance and, when needed, Sync.

Next Steps