Perl has a module called 'Graph::Easy' which can create a diagram from a graph automatically, and can also do ASCII-output. See <a href="http://bloodgate.com/graph-demo" rel="nofollow">http://bloodgate.com/graph-demo</a> for an interactive demo.<p><pre><code> [Sun] -- [Pear]
[Apple] --> [Pear]
[Pear] -- [fruit] --> [Pineapple]
[Pear] --> [Cherry]
[fruit] ==> [Done]
</code></pre>
Renders to:<p><pre><code> +--------+
| Cherry |
+--------+
^
|
|
+-------+ +--------+ +-------+ +-----------+
| Apple | --> | Pear | --- | fruit | --> | Pineapple |
+-------+ +--------+ +-------+ +-----------+
| H
| H
| v
+--------+ +-------+
| Sun | | Done |
+--------+ +-------+</code></pre>
Some ideas for more features:<p><pre><code> ,----------------.
| Round-cornered |
| boxes |
`----------------'
-+
|
>- Stretchy braces
|
-+
</code></pre>
Also, GUI control mockups:<p><pre><code> ( Buttons )
[ Dropdown lists |v]
[X] Checkboxes
(o) Radio buttons
Sliders: ---|----------
+-------------^
| Scroll bars #
| #
| |
| v
<----######-->
Spin-boxes: [ 37.0 |:]
</code></pre>
...you get the idea.<p>Being able to select drawn items and move them around after the fact would also be great.
What about ASCIIO?
It's great because it allows you to move and connect the blocks after you created them.
It's great to document source code.<p><a href="http://search.cpan.org/dist/App-Asciio/lib/App/Asciio.pm" rel="nofollow">http://search.cpan.org/dist/App-Asciio/lib/App/Asciio.pm</a>
Just needed this the other day and found this application: <a href="http://www.jave.de/" rel="nofollow">http://www.jave.de/</a> More features, but also feels more complex.<p>Screenshot: <a href="http://www.jave.de/screenshots/60rc2_screenshot.png" rel="nofollow">http://www.jave.de/screenshots/60rc2_screenshot.png</a>
I know this is a beta, but one suggestion: have an option to export the HTML wrapped in a div/span/pre/<something> which has a monospace font style, this would make it truly effortless to export the html and save it as-is.<p>Also I couldn't figure out how the arrow cursor worked or what one was supposed to do with it.<p>my remarks aside, very cool app!
I'm really enjoying this, the utter simplicity of it has a certain appeal. I would really like the ability to add columns / rows at the <i>cursor</i> position, though. Moving things around / feature heaven / hell would be fun, but <i>that</i> I think would be a net improvement without breaking the simplicity at all.
Cool! This is something I wanted to have and had started making for myself. Mine is much less useful than asciiflow but the thing I like most about it is that it allows writing and drawing more in the way I use my notebook. It's easy to write little blocks of text that aren't aligned along the left margin.<p>Feature request: In text mode, assign <enter> to move the cursor down a line and to the column that text entry began.<p>Here's my prototype: <a href="http://norstrulde.org/tty/tty.html" rel="nofollow">http://norstrulde.org/tty/tty.html</a>
I like this. I like this a lot. This is perfect for someone who just needs to get a few thoughts together and can't be bothered with firing up Dia or something similarly bloated.
Must you young'uns always try and reinvent the wheel?<p>Thedraw FTW: <a href="http://www.syaross.org/thedraw/" rel="nofollow">http://www.syaross.org/thedraw/</a><p>Now get off my LAN
This is one of the best things I've seen all week.
I hate traditional flowcharting tools, they're wonky and a pain when you have to convert them to anything else.
ASCII is the portable data format basically.
Very nice website!<p>I tried to do the same with a 28x4 canvas with unicode for twitter, but client and host unicode rendering differences turn it into an unintelligible mess most of the time (www.draw140.com)