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projectstorm/react-diagrams

★ 9,400TypeScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5Setup · moderate

TLDR

react-diagrams is a TypeScript library that adds interactive drag-and-connect node diagram editors to React apps, the kind of visual flow builder seen in Blender or Unreal Engine, built from HTML elements so nodes can hold any UI controls.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((react-diagrams))
    What it does
      Node-link diagram editor
      Drag and connect UI
    Design approach
      HTML nodes not SVG
      Fully extensible
      Monorepo packages
    Use cases
      Pipeline editors
      Workflow builders
      Data flow tools
    Getting started
      npm install
      Demo gallery
      Live online demo
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Code map

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filefunction / class

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Add a drag-and-drop visual pipeline editor to your React app where users connect processing steps with arrows

USE CASE 2

Build a workflow automation tool with custom node types that contain dropdowns, text inputs, and live previews

USE CASE 3

Create a configurable data-flow diagram for an ML or ETL pipeline that users can rewire at runtime

Tech stack

TypeScriptReact

Getting it running

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Organized as a monorepo with separate packages, install the full bundle for quickest start or pick sub-packages individually.

In plain English

react-diagrams is a TypeScript library for building interactive flow diagrams inside React applications. Think of the node-based visual editors in tools like Blender or Unreal Engine, where you connect boxes with lines to represent a process or data flow. This library gives you the building blocks to create that kind of interface for your own web app. The library is designed around HTML elements rather than SVG graphics for its nodes, which makes it easier to build complex inputs and controls directly inside each diagram box. You can add dropdowns, text fields, or any other HTML content to a node without fighting against the constraints of vector graphics. It is built to be extended. The core engine, the node shapes, and the routing logic are all separate packages, so you can include only what you need. If the default visual style does not fit your project, the library is structured so that you can replace or override almost any part of it. The README describes the design as inspired by software that lets users rewire programs at runtime, meaning the library suits applications where the diagram itself represents a live configuration rather than just a static illustration. The project is organized as a monorepo: one repository containing multiple related packages. To get started you install the full bundle with one command, or you can pick individual sub-packages for a leaner setup. A demo gallery and a demo project are included in the repository to show common usage patterns, and a live demo is hosted online. The library is available on npm and is written entirely in TypeScript, with type definitions included.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Using react-diagrams, create a custom node component in TypeScript that has a dropdown selector and two output ports, show the full component and how to register it
Prompt 2
How do I serialize the current react-diagrams canvas state to JSON and restore it later so users can save and reload their diagrams?
Prompt 3
I want to add custom link routing in react-diagrams so edges curve around nodes instead of overlapping them, which class do I extend and how?
Prompt 4
Show me how to set up react-diagrams in a Next.js 14 project and render a simple diagram with three connected nodes on first load
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