plantuml-ascii
Generate ASCII art diagrams using PlantUML text mode. Use when user asks to create ASCII diagrams, text-based diagrams, terminal-friendly diagrams, or mentions plantuml ascii, text diagram, ascii art diagram. Supports: Converting PlantUML diagrams to ASCII art, Creating sequence diagrams, class diagrams, flowcharts in ASCII format, Generating Unicode-enhanced ASCII art with -utxt flag
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill plantuml-ascii- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads plantuml-ascii automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
Security audits
Independent scans of the skill's instructions and bundled files.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
PlantUML ASCII Art Diagram Generator
Overview
Create text-based ASCII art diagrams using PlantUML. Perfect for documentation in terminal environments, README files, emails, or any scenario where graphical diagrams aren't suitable.
What is PlantUML ASCII Art?
PlantUML can generate diagrams as plain text (ASCII art) instead of images. This is useful for:
- Terminal-based workflows
- Git commits/PRs without image support
- Documentation that needs to be version-controlled
- Environments where graphical tools aren't available
Installation
# macOS
brew install plantuml
# Linux (varies by distro)
sudo apt-get install plantuml # Ubuntu/Debian
sudo yum install plantuml # RHEL/CentOS
# Or download JAR directly
wget https://github.com/plantuml/plantuml/releases/download/v1.2024.0/plantuml-1.2024.0.jar
Output Formats
| Flag | Format | Description |
|---|---|---|
-txt | ASCII | Pure ASCII characters |
-utxt | Unicode ASCII | Enhanced with box-drawing characters |
Basic Workflow
1. Create PlantUML Diagram File
@startuml
participant Bob
actor Alice
Bob -> Alice : hello
Alice -> Bob : Is it ok?
@enduml
2. Generate ASCII Art
# Standard ASCII output
plantuml -txt diagram.puml
# Unicode-enhanced output (better looking)
plantuml -utxt diagram.puml
# Using JAR directly
java -jar plantuml.jar -txt diagram.puml
java -jar plantuml.jar -utxt diagram.puml
3. View Output
Output is saved as diagram.atxt (ASCII) or diagram.utxt (Unicode).
Diagram Types Supported
Sequence Diagram
@startuml
actor User
participant "Web App" as App
database "Database" as DB
User -> App : Login Request
App -> DB : Validate Credentials
DB --> App : User Data
App --> User : Auth Token
@enduml
Class Diagram
@startuml
class User {
+id: int
+name: string
+email: string
+login(): bool
}
class Order {
+id: int
+total: float
+items: List
+calculateTotal(): float
}
User "1" -- "*" Order : places
@enduml
Activity Diagram
@startuml
start
:Initialize;
if (Is Valid?) then (yes)
:Process Data;
:Save Result;
else (no)
:Log Error;
stop
endif
:Complete;
stop
@enduml
State Diagram
@startuml
[*] --> Idle
Idle --> Processing : start
Processing --> Success : complete
Processing --> Error : fail
Success --> [*]
Error --> Idle : retry
@enduml
Component Diagram
@startuml
[Client] as client
[API Gateway] as gateway
[Service A] as svcA
[Service B] as svcB
[Database] as db
client --> gateway
gateway --> svcA
gateway --> svcB
svcA --> db
svcB --> db
@enduml
Use Case Diagram
@startuml
actor "User" as user
actor "Admin" as admin
rectangle "System" {
user -- (Login)
user -- (View Profile)
user -- (Update Settings)
admin -- (Manage Users)
admin -- (Configure System)
}
@enduml
Deployment Diagram
@startuml
actor "User" as user
node "Load Balancer" as lb
node "Web Server 1" as ws1
node "Web Server 2" as ws2
database "Primary DB" as db1
database "Replica DB" as db2
user --> lb
lb --> ws1
lb --> ws2
ws1 --> db1
ws2 --> db1
db1 --> db2 : replicate
@enduml
Command-Line Options
# Specify output directory
plantuml -txt -o ./output diagram.puml
# Process all files in directory
plantuml -txt ./diagrams/
# Include dot files (hidden files)
plantuml -txt -includeDot diagrams/
# Verbose output
plantuml -txt -v diagram.puml
# Specify charset
plantuml -txt -charset UTF-8 diagram.puml
Ant Task Integration
<target name="generate-ascii">
<plantuml dir="./src" format="txt" />
</target>
<target name="generate-unicode-ascii">
<plantuml dir="./src" format="utxt" />
</target>
Tips for Better ASCII Diagrams
- Keep it simple: Complex diagrams don't render well in ASCII
- Short labels: Long text breaks ASCII alignment
- Use Unicode (
-utxt): Better visual quality with box-drawing chars - Test before sharing: Verify in terminal with fixed-width font
- Consider alternatives: For complex diagrams, use Mermaid.js or graphviz
Example Output Comparison
Standard ASCII (-txt):
,---. ,---.
|Bob| |Alice|
`---' `---'
| hello |
|------------->|
| |
| Is it ok? |
|<-------------|
| |
Unicode ASCII (-utxt):
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ Bob │ │Alice│
└─────┘ └─────┘
│ hello │
│─────────────>│
│ │
│ Is it ok? │
│<─────────────│
│ │
Quick Reference
# Create sequence diagram in ASCII
cat > seq.puml << 'EOF'
@startuml
Alice -> Bob: Request
Bob --> Alice: Response
@enduml
EOF
plantuml -txt seq.puml
cat seq.atxt
# Create with Unicode
plantuml -utxt seq.puml
cat seq.utxt
Troubleshooting
Problem: Garbled Unicode characters
- Solution: Ensure terminal supports UTF-8 and has proper font
Problem: Diagram looks misaligned
- Solution: Use fixed-width font (Courier, Monaco, Consolas)
Problem: Command not found
- Solution: Install PlantUML or use Java JAR directly
Problem: Output file not created
- Solution: Check file permissions, ensure PlantUML has write access
FAQ
What does the plantuml-ascii skill do?
Generate ASCII art diagrams using PlantUML text mode. Use when user asks to create ASCII diagrams, text-based diagrams, terminal-friendly diagrams, or mentions plantuml ascii, text diagram, ascii art diagram. Supports: Converting PlantUML diagrams to ASCII art, Creating sequence diagrams, class diagrams, flowcharts in ASCII format, Generating Unicode-enhanced ASCII art with -utxt flag
How do I install plantuml-ascii?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill plantuml-ascii in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/plantuml-ascii/ (personal) or .claude/skills/plantuml-ascii/ (project).
Which AI agents can use plantuml-ascii?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is plantuml-ascii safe to install?
Security partners have reviewed it: Gen Agent Trust Hub flagged risks; Socket passed; Snyk passed; Runlayer flagged items to review; ZeroLeaks passed. As with any skill, read the SKILL.md and bundled scripts before installing.
Who maintains plantuml-ascii?
It is published by github in github/awesome-copilot, and it is an official skill from the maker of the technology it covers. It has 9,751 recorded installs.
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