Drawio

Draw.io Overview Diagrams

Generate valid draw.io XML and save as <name>.drawio using the Write tool.

Lines

• rounded routing: edgeStyle=orthogonalEdgeStyle;rounded=1;
• black stroke: strokeColor=#000000;
• arrow at target: endArrow=block;endFill=1;
• label without shadow: shadow=0; on the label cell
• when an edge crosses container boundaries (source or target is nested in a container), pin explicit exitX/exitY on the source and entryX/entryY on the target so the orthogonal router does not take ugly paths; when multiple edges share a target, give each a distinct entry point to prevent overlap

Style

• all nodes: rounded=1;whiteSpace=wrap;html=1;shadow=1;
• corner radius: arcSize=10;
• font: fontColor=#000000;fontSize=13;fontStyle=0;

BCE Shape Mapping

Color Palette

• BC blue: fill #dae8fc, border #6c8ebf
• Subsystem gray: fill #f5f5f5, border #666666
• External yellow: fill #fff2cc, border #d6b656
• Boundary green: fill #d5e8d4, border #82b366
• Control purple: fill #e1d5e7, border #9673a6
• Entity yellow: fill #fff2cc, border #d6b656

BCE Robustness Icons (built-in)

Drawio ships with the Jacobson BCE icons. Use these — never reconstruct them from primitives (lines + ellipses + triangles).

• Boundary Object: shape=umlBoundary;whiteSpace=wrap;html=1;
• Control Object: ellipse;shape=umlControl;whiteSpace=wrap;html=1;
• Entity Object: ellipse;shape=umlEntity;whiteSpace=wrap;html=1;

Color them by adding fillColor=#ffffff;strokeColor=<layer-border>;. Typical icon size: width=30;height=32.

Content

• visualize only high-level concepts and modules
• show dependencies between components as directed arrows
• omit implementation details, classes, and methods
• group related components visually
• limit diagram to essential relationships

Layout

• arrange components in logical flow (top-to-bottom or left-to-right)
• consistent spacing: 40px between nodes, 20px padding inside containers
• avoid crossing lines where possible
• use container shapes (container=1;) for subsystem grouping
• default node size: width=160;height=60;

Labels

• use short, descriptive names
• avoid technical jargon unless domain-specific
• label arrows only when relationship type is ambiguous
• black font color for all labels
• do not use italic font
• connection labels must be without shadow
• connection labels must use fontSize=16;

XML Structure

Minimal skeleton — every .drawio file must follow this hierarchy:

<mxfile>
  <diagram name="Overview" id="diag1">
    <mxGraphModel dx="1024" dy="768" grid="1" gridSize="10" guides="1" tooltips="1" connect="1" arrows="1" fold="1" page="1" pageScale="1" pageWidth="1169" pageHeight="827" math="0" shadow="0">
      <root>
        <mxCell id="0"/>
        <mxCell id="1" parent="0"/>
        <!-- nodes and edges here, parent="1" -->
      </root>
    </mxGraphModel>
  </diagram>
</mxfile>

Example — Minimal 2-Node Diagram

<mxfile>
  <diagram name="Overview" id="d1">
    <mxGraphModel dx="1024" dy="768" grid="1" gridSize="10" guides="1" tooltips="1" connect="1" arrows="1" fold="1" page="1" pageScale="1" pageWidth="1169" pageHeight="827" math="0" shadow="0">
      <root>
        <mxCell id="0"/>
        <mxCell id="1" parent="0"/>
        <mxCell id="2" value="Orders" style="rounded=1;whiteSpace=wrap;html=1;shadow=1;arcSize=10;fillColor=#dae8fc;strokeColor=#6c8ebf;fontColor=#000000;fontSize=13;fontStyle=0;" vertex="1" parent="1">
          <mxGeometry x="100" y="200" width="160" height="60" as="geometry"/>
        </mxCell>
        <mxCell id="3" value="Payments" style="rounded=1;whiteSpace=wrap;html=1;shadow=1;arcSize=10;fillColor=#dae8fc;strokeColor=#6c8ebf;fontColor=#000000;fontSize=13;fontStyle=0;" vertex="1" parent="1">
          <mxGeometry x="380" y="200" width="160" height="60" as="geometry"/>
        </mxCell>
        <mxCell id="4" value="charges" style="edgeStyle=orthogonalEdgeStyle;rounded=1;orthogonalLoop=1;strokeColor=#000000;fontColor=#000000;fontSize=16;fontStyle=0;endArrow=block;endFill=1;shadow=0;" edge="1" source="2" target="3" parent="1">
          <mxGeometry relative="1" as="geometry"/>
        </mxCell>
      </root>
    </mxGraphModel>
  </diagram>
</mxfile>

File Output

• save as <name>.drawio using the Write tool
• see references/example.drawio for a complete BCE example