Pre-proposal: Adopting a text-based diagram syntax in Jupyter Markdown

[bollwyvl]

Elevator Pitch

Jupyter Markdown should adopt a text-based syntax for building diagrams. Flagship Jupyter tools like JupyterLab 4, Jupyter Notebook 7, nbconvert, and nbviewer should render this syntax consistently.

Scope of proposal

The proposal will evaluate the merits of (in no particular order):

• portability to other Markdown-generating and -consuming platforms
• maturity of the implementation
• accessibility
• security
• performance
• maintenance/dependency burden
• breadth of diagrams and expressive power

Prior Art

Some links to existing work that will inform the proposal:

• Update to marked 7.0.2, add mermaidjs 10.3.1 jupyterlab/jupyterlab#14102
• Add mermaidjs 10.2.3 nbconvert#1957
• Supporting text-based diagrams in Jupyter clients software-steering-council-team-compass#1

SPOILERS

The proposed implementation is mermaidjs 10.

The proposed syntax is the one implemented in the most places, based on GitHub fenced code blocks:

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    chicken --> egg --> chicken
```

[krassowski]

The associated JEP is #101

[gabalafou]

As part of triage in working call today, closing this as it has an associated JEP (#101).