With the Asciidoctor diagram extension we can include diagrams that are written in plain text. For example PlantUML or Ditaa diagrams. The extension offers a block processor where we include the diagram definitions in our Asciidoctor document. But there is also a block macro processor. With the block macro processor we can refer to an external file. The file is processed and the resulting image is in our output document.
In the following example we see how to use the block macro for a Ditaa diagram:
= Diagram Block Macro
There is another way to use the diagram
extension instead of via a block definition. We
can use a block macro to refer to an external
file that has the diagram definition.
The name of the diagram extension is the
block macro name. For example for a Ditaa diagram
we use `ditaa::` and for PlantUML
we use `plantuml::`. This is followed
by a filename of the file that contains the
diagram source.
We can define attributes just like with the
block definition. The first positional attribute
define the filename. Or we use the attribute
name `target` to set the output filename. The second
positional attribute is the file format. Instead
we can use the attribute `format`.
In the next example we use a block macro
to include a Ditaa diagram definition:
// The first positional attribute is the
// file target name (or we use attribute target),
// the second positional attribute is the
// file format (or use attribute format).
// Other attributes can also be defined.
ditaa::sample.ditaa[ditaa-diagram, png, round-corners="true"]
Written with Asciidoctor {asciidoctor-version}.
The contents of sample.ditaa:
+-------------+
| Asciidoctor |-------+
| diagram | |
+-------------+ | PNG out
^ |
| ditaa in |
| v
+--------+ +--------+----+ /---------------\
| |---+ Asciidoctor +--->| |
| Text | +-------------+ | Beautiful |
|Document| | !magic! | | Output |
| {d}| | | | |
+---+----+ +-------------+ \---------------/
: ^
| Lots of work |
+-----------------------------------+
When we create a HTML document from this Asciidoctor markup we get the following output:
Written with Asciidoctor 1.5.6.1.
