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0 pointsalixanderwang1y ago0 comments

> If you'd like to try it out on a specific repo, you can always use our extension for further analysis.

VSCode extension marketplace doesn't have the best security rails or reputation for security, and with this being closed source, just personally, installing and running it on my machine isn't something I'm comfortable doing.

> The idea is that CodeViz can replace or augment search and directory tree by providing a more intuitive interface for navigation!

That to me is a different goal than the one in your post (maybe it's just phrasing or I didn't understand the OP correctly), and is something I'd be excited to have!

> ideally the definition of an architecture diagram would be rigorous enough that there is no ambiguity

Rigor is a big "if" in software ;). See: UML's attempt. C4 is some very loose guidelines. IIRC, a big part of its attraction is the lack of rigor/formal standards.

Anyway, best of luck! Feel free to reach out if you'd like to chat diagrams

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WillMcCall1y ago

Sounds good, thanks for the feedback! Would open-sourcing CodeViz change your willingness to give it a try?

Definitely agree that rigor is a tricky term here, do you think the open-ended nature of C4 diagrams is a feature, not a bug? We've found in practice that top level diagram generation is both an art and a science, maybe it ought to stay that way.

In any case, shooting you a PM to set up some time to chat, and thanks again for the input!

alixanderwangOP1y ago

> Would open-sourcing CodeViz change your willingness to give it a try?

Yup. Or a web app that I can point to an open-source repo.

Regarding C4, I'm no expert. I know the guys at IcePanel, an earlier YC-cohort company (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34338995) that specializes in C4 diagrams, and they're very friendly, so if you haven't yet, they'll be much more equipped to chime in on C4 stuff.

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