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Install / Use ASCII Diagram

ASCII Diagram is built around a simple promise: your diagram source lives in files you own, and the app should meet you where you already work.

The fastest path is the web app:

Web​

Open the app in your browser and start drawing immediately.

From there you can:

  • create a new diagram
  • open an existing .asciid file
  • save the current document back to disk where the browser supports it
  • copy rendered ASCII to the clipboard

PWA​

ASCII Diagram can also be installed like an app from a supported browser.

That gives you a cleaner window and a more app-like launch experience while keeping the same file-first workflow.

Best browser support​

The best current experience is in Chromium-based browsers because they support the File System Access API.

That enables direct open/save behavior for local files. In browsers without that API, the fallback workflow is still usable:

  • open by uploading a file
  • save by downloading the current document

Your files stay yours​

ASCII Diagram does not need to import your diagrams into a private backend to be useful.

Your working file is just a .asciid document on disk. That means it can live:

  • in a project repo
  • in a personal docs folder
  • next to Markdown files
  • anywhere you already keep source-controlled work

A typical project layout​

my-project/
  README.md
  docs/
    diagrams/
      system-context.asciid
      deployment-flow.asciid

If you are starting fresh​

The easiest path is:

  1. open the app
  2. create a new diagram
  3. save it as a .asciid file
  4. copy rendered ASCII into the doc or issue where you need it

Then continue with Quickstart and Organizing Diagram Files.