This GitHub repository is a collection of tooling to help you visualise, document and explore the software architecture of a software system. In summary, it allows you to create a software architecture model based upon Simon Brown's C4 model using Java code, and then export that model to be visualised using tools such as:

1. Structurizr: a web-based software as a service and on-premises product to render software architecture diagrams and supplementary Markdown/AsciiDoc documentation.
2. PlantUML: a tool to create UML diagrams using a simple textual domain specific language.
3. Graphviz: a tool to render directed graphs using the DOT format.

As an example, the following Java code can be used to create a software architecture model that describes a user using a software system.

public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
    Workspace workspace = new Workspace("Getting Started", "This is a model of my software system.");
    Model model = workspace.getModel();
    
    Person user = model.addPerson("User", "A user of my software system.");
    SoftwareSystem softwareSystem = model.addSoftwareSystem("Software System", "My software system.");
    user.uses(softwareSystem, "Uses");
    
    ViewSet views = workspace.getViews();
    SystemContextView contextView = views.createSystemContextView(softwareSystem, "SystemContext", "An example of a System Context diagram.");
    contextView.addAllSoftwareSystems();
    contextView.addAllPeople();
}

If using Structurizr, the end-result, after adding some styling and positioning the diagram elements, is a system context diagram like this:

You can see the live workspace at https://structurizr.com/share/25441.

• Introduction
  • Getting started
  • About Structurizr and how it compares to other tooling
  • Basic concepts (workspaces, models, views and documentation)
  • C4 model
  • Binaries
  • API Client
  • Usage patterns
• Diagrams
  • System Context diagram
  • Container diagram
  • Component diagram
  • Dynamic diagram
  • Deployment diagram
  • Enterprise Context diagram
  • Styling elements
  • Styling relationships
  • Filtered views
• Documentation
  • Documentation overview
  • Structurizr
  • arc42
  • Viewpoints and Perspectives
  • Automatic template
• Extracting software architecture information from code
  • Component finder
  • Structurizr annotations
  • Type matchers
  • Spring component finder strategies
  • Supplementing the model from source code
  • Components and supporting types
  • The Spring PetClinic example
• Exporting and visualising with other tools
  • PlantUML
  • Graphviz and DOT
• Other
  • Client-side encryption
  • Corporate branding
  • Building from source
• Related projects
  • cat-boot-structurizr: A way to apply dependency management to help modularise Structurizr code.
  • java-quickstart: A simple starting point for using Structurizr for Java
  • structurizr-groovy: An initial version of a Groovy wrapper around Structurizr for Java.
  • structurizr-dotnet: Structurizr for .NET