{
  "id": 10329551,
  "title": "Your architecture diagram is lying: I tested both ways of writing it as code",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/your-architecture-diagram-is-lying-i-tested-both-ways-of-writing-it",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-28T00:59:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/efraingaray/your-architecture-diagram-is-lying-i-tested-both-ways-of-writing-it-as-code-50ig"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Most architecture diagrams in production are outdated, not due to neglect but because they exist as static PNGs drawn once while the codebase undergoes frequent changes. Opening a visual editor to rearrange boxes when deploying a microservice at 11pm is not a common practice. A C4 web editor that garnered attention on Habr this week lacked a repository, self-hosting capabilities, and a method to gauge its effectiveness. In a bid to test the two viable alternatives that can be run independently on a live system, I evaluated Structurizr CLI and C4-PlantUML.\n\nStructurizr CLI generates all three C4 levels (context, containers, and components) in mere seconds from a single .dsl file. Conversely, C4-PlantUML achieves comparable outcomes without requiring installation but at the expense of tripling the size of the model being maintained. The comprehensive write-up includes the precise commands, the four review gates enabling this transformative approach (diff, PR review, versioning, CI), a side-by-side comparison of both tools, and guidance on selecting the most suitable option. For a detailed analysis, refer to the full measurements at https://efraingaray.com/en/blog/arquitectura-como-codigo/.",
  "summary": "Most architecture diagrams in production are out of date — not through carelessness, but because they live in a PNG someone drew once while the code kept changing. Nobody opens a visual editor to move a box when they ship a microservice at 11pm. A closed C4 web editor made the rounds on Habr this week: no repo, nothing to self-host, nothing to measure. So I tested the two alternatives you can run…",
  "key_points": [
    "Most architecture diagrams are static PNGs, not code-based",
    "Structurizr CLI generates C4 levels quickly from a .dsl file",
    "C4-PlantUML maintains larger model size but no installation needed"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}