Mindmaps: node shapes

简介 / Introduction

Mind maps are a popular way to organize ideas hierarchically. Both PlantUML and Mermaid support drawing them from plain text. This post compares their node shape syntax.

PlantUML 版

PlantUML mind maps use prefix symbols on nodes to change shape:

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@startmindmap
* Root
** Default node
**_) Circular node
**- Diamond node
**] Rounded rectangle
**( Rectangle
**{ Octagon
@enduml

Symbol guide: **) circle, **- diamond, **] rounded, **( rectangle, **{ octagon, no symbol = default.

Mermaid 版

Mermaid mind maps wrap node content in paired symbols to specify shape:

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mindmap
  root((Root))
    Default node
    )Circular node(
    -Diamond node-
    )Rounded rectangle(
    [Rectangle]
    {Octagon}

Shape symbols: (()) circle, -- diamond ends, ()) left-round, []] rounded, [] rectangle, {} octagon.

对比 / Side-by-side

小结 / Wrap-up

PlantUML uses consistent prefix symbols across all depth levels, while Mermaid uses symmetric wrapping symbols for readability. Both render to clean SVG for embedding. Choose whichever fits your workflow.