Mermaid vs OpenFlow
Mermaid and OpenFlow DSL solve adjacent but different problems in OpenFlowKit.
Choose Mermaid when
Section titled “Choose Mermaid when”- the diagram must live in Markdown, docs sites, or README files
- your team already reviews Mermaid in pull requests
- external tooling expects Mermaid syntax
Choose OpenFlow DSL when
Section titled “Choose OpenFlow DSL when”- the diagram is primarily maintained inside OpenFlowKit
- you want a format closer to the native graph model
- you want fewer compatibility constraints during editing
- you want a better target for OpenFlowKit-specific AI and Studio workflows
The real difference
Section titled “The real difference”Mermaid is the better portability format.
OpenFlow DSL is the better editor-native format.
That usually means:
- Mermaid is better for publication and interoperability
- OpenFlow DSL is better for fidelity inside the product
Recommended team pattern
Section titled “Recommended team pattern”If you need both:
- treat JSON or OpenFlow DSL as the editing master
- publish Mermaid as a downstream representation when required
This avoids losing detail every time the diagram moves between ecosystems.