Workflow

  1. Create your workspace using the DSL, as a file named workspace.dsl in your Structurizr data directory. Any included files (documentation, ADRs, icons, etc) should also be accessible from this directory.
  2. Start Structurizr local.
  3. Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost:8080 to see your workspace content.
  4. Modify the diagram layout as needed, and save your workspace via the UI. Structurizr will write a JSON version of your workspace into your Structurizr data directory to a file named workspace.json - this includes your workspace and the layout information for your diagrams.
  5. Make any changes as required to the content of your workspace.dsl file, and save it.
  6. Refresh your web browser to see the changes.

For a faster feedback loop you can use the auto-refresh configuration in conjunction with a web browser running split-screen. VS Code’s Simple Browser is sufficient for this purpose.

VS Code showing the DSL and diagrams