Python Libraries for Workflow Diagrams | Generated by AI
If you’re looking for Python libraries that make it easy to draw workflows or flow graphs—think tools like maniod that simplify diagramming—here’s a selection of excellent options worth exploring:
Recommended Python Packages for Workflows & Flow Diagrams
1. Graphviz (via Python)
- A widely-used open-source tool for drawing graphs defined in DOT language.
- Offers multiple layout styles like layered (
dot), circular (circo), radial (twopi), and force-directed (neato,fdp) (Wikipedia). - In Python, you can use the
graphvizorpygraphvizwrapper to define nodes and edges programmatically—DSL-style.
“I’ve used GraphViz for things like this. The main reason I like it is because it’s more of a DSL than a GUI for making flow charts.” (Reddit)
2. NetworkX
- A Python-native library for graph creation, analysis, and visualization via Matplotlib or Graphviz layouts (Wikipedia).
- Supports directed graphs, multi-edges, and various layout algorithms like spring-layout, multipartite (great for layered workflows), circular layouts, etc. (Wikipedia).
- Perfect for generating data-driven workflow diagrams where graph structure is dynamic.
3. Pyvis (with VisJS)
- Lets you build interactive workflow visualizations in notebooks or the web using Python.
- Built on VisJS; highly customizable interactivity, layout physics, tooltips—responsive and user-friendly for exploratory diagrams (GitHub, arXiv).
4. Graph-tool
- A high-performance Python/C++ library for graph manipulation & visualization.
- Offers nice exports via Cairo or Graphviz and supports complex graph algorithms if you need analytic plus visual capabilities (Wikipedia).
5. igraph
- A fast, scalable graph library (C core with Python interface).
- Great for performance-heavy workloads and large-scale graphs with interactive plotting support (arXiv).
6. pyflowsheet
- Tailored for process flow diagrams in engineering contexts.
- Lets you generate flowsheets from code—minimal fuss, ideal for process engineers (GitHub).
7. Plotly Sankey Diagram
- For representing flows with quantitative quantities—Sankey diagrams show flow volume using arrow widths.
- Useful when you need to show not just structure but also magnitude of flows between steps (Plotly).
Other Tools Mentioned
- Schemdraw: Tailored for circuit schematics but has a flowcharting module. Gorgeous diagrams, but layout must be manually specified (Stack Overflow).
- VisTrails: A UI-based scientific workflow tool (not actively maintained) for managing, visualizing, and exploring pipelines visually (Wikipedia).
- PM4Py: Focused on process mining rather than drawing arbitrary workflows. More about analyzing event logs (arXiv).
Here’s a quick breakdown to help you choose:
- Want DSL-like, static flowcharts? → Graphviz
- Need dynamic/custom graph structures? → NetworkX (+ Matplotlib or Graphviz)
- Want interactivity in notebooks/web? → Pyvis
- Working with big, performance-sensitive graphs? → igraph or graph-tool
- Need engineering-style flowsheets from code? → pyflowsheet
- Representing quantitative flow between stages? → Plotly Sankey
Example Snippets
Graphviz (Python)
from graphviz import Digraph
dot = Digraph()
dot.node('A', 'Start')
dot.node('B', 'Process')
dot.node('C', 'End')
dot.edge('A', 'B')
dot.edge('B', 'C')
dot.render('flowchart', view=True)
NetworkX
import networkx as nx
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
G = nx.DiGraph()
G.add_edge('A', 'B')
G.add_edge('B', 'C')
pos = nx.multipartite_layout(G, subset_key=lambda n: {'A':0,'B':1,'C':2}[n])
nx.draw(G, pos, with_labels=True, arrows=True)
plt.show()
Plotly Sankey
import plotly.graph_objects as go
fig = go.Figure(go.Sankey(
node = dict(label=["Start","Process","End"], pad=15, thickness=20),
link = dict(source=[0,1], target=[1,2], value=[1,1])
))
fig.show()
TL;DR
- Graphviz for clean, DSL/ code-defined workflows.
- NetworkX for flexible, layout-driven diagrams via Python.
- Pyvis for interactive, rich visualizations in notebooks or web.
- igraph / graph-tool for performance-heavy graph tasks.
- pyflowsheet for process flowsheets.
- Plotly Sankey if you need flow magnitude visuals.
Let me know if you’d like help with any specific library or a sample implementation!