mermaid/docs/content/sequenceDiagram.md

---
title: Sequence Diagram
order: 3
---
# Sequence diagrams

> A Sequence diagram is an interaction diagram that shows how processes operate with one another and in what order.

Mermaid can render sequence diagrams. The code snippet below:
```
%% Example of sequence diagram
sequenceDiagram
    Alice->>John: Hello John, how are you?
    John-->>Alice: Great!
```

Renders the following diagram:

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    Alice->>John: Hello John, how are you?
    John-->>Alice: Great!
```

## Syntax

### Participants

The participants can be defined implicitly as in the first example on this page. The participants or actors are
rendered in order of appearance in the diagram source text. Sometimes you might want to show the participants in a
different order than how they appear in the first message. It is possible to specify the actor's order of
appearance by doing the following:

```
%% Example of sequence diagram
sequenceDiagram
    participant John
    participant Alice
    Alice->>John: Hello John, how are you?
    John-->>Alice: Great!
```

Renders to the diagram below:

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    participant John
    participant Alice
    Alice->>John: Hello John, how are you?
    John-->>Alice: Great!
```

## Messages
Messages can be of two displayed either solid or with a dotted line.

```
[Actor][Arrow][Actor]:Message text
```

There are six types of arrows currently supported:

-> which will render a solid line without arrow

--> which will render a dotted line  without arrow

->> which will render a solid line with arrowhead

-->> which will render a dotted line  with arrowhead

-x which will render a solid line with a cross at the end (async)

--x which will render a dotted line with a cross at the end (async)


## Activations
It is possible to activate and deactivate an actor. (de)activation can be dedicated declarations:

```
sequenceDiagram
    Alice->>John: Hello John, how are you?
    activate John
    John-->>Alice: Great!
    deactivate John
```

Renders to the diagram below:

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    Alice->>John: Hello John, how are you?
    activate John
    John-->>Alice: Great!
    deactivate John
```

There is also a shortcut notation by appending `+`/`-` suffix to the message arrow:  

```
sequenceDiagram
    Alice->>+John: Hello John, how are you?
    John-->>-Alice: Great!
```

Activations can be stacked for same actor:

```
sequenceDiagram
    Alice->>+John: Hello John, how are you?
    Alice->>+John: John, can yoy hear me?
    John-->>-Alice: Hi Alice, I can hear you!
    John-->>-Alice: I feel great!
```

Stacked activations look like this:

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    Alice->>+John: Hello John, how are you?
    Alice->>+John: John, can yoy hear me?
    John-->>-Alice: Hi Alice, I can hear you!
    John-->>-Alice: I feel great!
```

## Notes
It is possible to add notes to a sequence diagram. This is done by the notation
Note [ right of | left of | over ] [Actor]: Text in note content

See the example below:
```
%% Example of sequence diagram
sequenceDiagram
    participant John
    Note right of John: Text in note
```

Renders to the diagram below:

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    participant John
    Note right of John: Text in note
```

It is also possible to create notes spanning two participants:
```
sequenceDiagram
    Alice->John: Hello John, how are you?
    Note over Alice,John: A typical interaction
```

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    Alice->John: Hello John, how are you?
    Note over Alice,John: A typical interaction
```

## Loops
It is possible to express loops in a sequence diagram. This is done by the notation
```
loop Loop text
... statements ...
end
```

See the example below
```
%% Example of sequence diagram
sequenceDiagram
    Alice->John: Hello John, how are you?
    loop Reply every minute
        John-->Alice: Great!
    end
```

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    Alice->John: Hello John, how are you?
    loop Every minute
        John-->Alice: Great!
    end
```

## Alt
It is possible to express alternative paths in a sequence diagram. This is done by the notation
```
alt Describing text
... statements ...
else
... statements ...
end
```

or if there is sequence that is optional (if without else).

```
opt Describing text
... statements ...
end
```

See the example below
```
%% Example of sequence diagram
    sequenceDiagram
        Alice->>Bob: Hello Bob, how are you?
        alt is sick
            Bob->>Alice: Not so good :(
        else is well
            Bob->>Alice: Feeling fresh like a daisy
        end
        opt Extra response
            Bob->>Alice: Thanks for asking
        end

```

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    Alice->>Bob: Hello Bob, how are you?
    alt is sick
        Bob->>Alice: Not so good :(
    else is well
        Bob->>Alice: Feeling fresh like a daisy
    end
    opt Extra response
        Bob->>Alice: Thanks for asking
    end
```
## Styling

Styling of the a sequence diagram is done by defining a number of css classes.  During rendering these classes are extracted from the

### Classes used

Class | Description
---          | ---
actor        | Style for the actor box at the top of the diagram.
text.actor   | Styles for text in the actor box at the top of the diagram.
actor-line   | The vertical line for an actor.
messageLine0 | Styles for the solid message line.
messageLine1 | Styles for the dotted message line.
messageText  | Defines styles for the text on the message arrows.
labelBox     | Defines styles label to left in a loop.
labelText    | Styles for the text in label for loops.
loopText     | Styles for the text in the loop box.
loopLine     | Defines styles for the lines in the loop box.
note         | Styles for the note box.
noteText     | Styles for the text on in the note boxes.

### Sample stylesheet


```css

body {
    background: white;
}

.actor {
    stroke: #CCCCFF;
    fill: #ECECFF;
}
text.actor {
    fill:black;
    stroke:none;
    font-family: Helvetica;
}

.actor-line {
    stroke:grey;
}

.messageLine0 {
    stroke-width:1.5;
    stroke-dasharray: "2 2";
    marker-end:"url(#arrowhead)";
    stroke:black;
}

.messageLine1 {
    stroke-width:1.5;
    stroke-dasharray: "2 2";
    stroke:black;
}

#arrowhead {
    fill:black;

}

.messageText {
    fill:black;
    stroke:none;
    font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial;
    font-size:14px;
}

.labelBox {
    stroke: #CCCCFF;
    fill: #ECECFF;
}

.labelText {
    fill:black;
    stroke:none;
    font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial;
}

.loopText {
    fill:black;
    stroke:none;
    font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial;
}

.loopLine {
    stroke-width:2;
    stroke-dasharray: "2 2";
    marker-end:"url(#arrowhead)";
    stroke: #CCCCFF;
}

.note {
    stroke: #decc93;
    stroke: #CCCCFF;
    fill: #fff5ad;
}

.noteText {
    fill:black;
    stroke:none;
    font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial;
    font-size:14px;
}

```
## Configuration

Is it possible to adjust the margins for rendering the sequence diagram.

This is done by defining **mermaid.sequenceConfig** or by the CLI to use a json file with the configuration. How to use
the CLI is described in the mermaidCLI page.
mermaid.sequenceConfig can be set to a JSON string with config parameters or the corresponding object.

```
mermaid.sequenceConfig = {
    diagramMarginX:50,
    diagramMarginY:10,
    boxTextMargin:5,
    noteMargin:10,
    messageMargin:35,
    mirrorActors:true
    };
```

### Possible configration params:

Param | Descriotion | Default value
--- | --- | ---
mirrorActor|Turns on/off the rendering of actors below the diagram as well as above it|false
bottomMarginAdj|Adjusts how far down the graph ended. Wide borders styles with css could generate unwantewd clipping which is why this config param exists.|1