chronos

A Typst package to draw sequence diagrams with CeTZ

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This package lets you render sequence diagrams directly in Typst. The following boilerplate code creates an empty sequence diagram with two participants:

Typst	Result
#import "@preview/chronos:0.1.0" #chronos.diagram({ import chronos: * _par("Alice") _par("Bob") })

Disclaimer
The package cannot parse PlantUML syntax for the moment, and thus requires the use of element functions, as shown in the examples. A PlantUML parser is in the TODO list, just not the top priority

Basic sequences

You can make basic sequences using the _seq function:

Typst	Result
#chronos.diagram({ import chronos: * _par("Alice") _par("Bob") _seq("Alice", "Bob", comment: "Hello") _seq("Bob", "Bob", comment: "Think") _seq("Bob", "Alice", comment: "Hi") })

You can make lifelines using the following parameters of the _seq function:

• enable-dst: enables the destination lifeline
• create-dst: creates the destination lifeline and participant
• disable-dst: disables the destination lifeline
• destroy-dst: destroys the destination lifeline and participant
• disable-src: disables the source lifeline
• destroy-src: destroy the source lifeline and participant

Typst

Result

#chronos.diagram({ import chronos: * _par("A", display-name: "Alice") _par("B", display-name: "Bob") _par("C", display-name: "Charlie") _par("D", display-name: "Derek") _seq("A", "B", comment: "hello", enable-dst: true) _seq("B", "B", comment: "self call", enable-dst: true) _seq("C", "B", comment: "hello from thread 2", enable-dst: true, lifeline-style: (fill: rgb("#005500"))) _seq("B", "D", comment: "create", create-dst: true) _seq("B", "C", comment: "done in thread 2", disable-src: true, dashed: true) _seq("B", "B", comment: "rc", disable-src: true, dashed: true) _seq("B", "D", comment: "delete", destroy-dst: true) _seq("B", "A", comment: "success", disable-src: true, dashed: true) })

Showcase

Several features have already been implemented in Chronos. Don't hesitate to checkout the examples in the gallery folder to see what you can do.

Quick example reference:

Example	Features
example1 (PDF|Typst)	Simple cases, color sequences, groups, separators, gaps, self-sequences
example2 (PDF|Typst)	Lifelines, found/lost messages, synchronized sequences, slanted sequences
example3 (PDF|Typst)	Participant shapes, sequence tips, hidden partipicant ends
notes (PDF|Typst)	Notes (duh), deferred participant creation

Note

Many examples were taken/adapted from the PlantUML documentation on sequence diagrams