What do you use to make programming flowcharts, diagrams, etc?

Question

I've always just used OpenOffice Draw and it just occurred to me that there has to be something better out there.

So what do you use? Do you like it?

Bonus points for free things and for web apps.

Answer 1

I use Dia, the Diagram Editor.

Dia - Best Freeware Flowcharting (Visio) Tool

Dia is a free flowcharting tool, similar to Microsofts Visio. It is useful for building informal diagrams, database diagrams and database models, as well as drawing more complex charts such as UML diagrams.

Objects in the charts can be connected with lines and arrows in a variety of styles.

Object types in Dia include AADL, Assorted, BPMN, ChemEng, Chonogram, Cisco, Civil, Cybernetics, Electric, ER, Flowchart, FS, Gane and Sarson, GRAFCET, Jigsaw, Ladder, Logic, Map, isometric, MSE, Network, Pneumatic / Hydrualic, RE-i*, RE-Jackson, RE_kaos, SADT/IDEFO, SDL, Sybase and UML.

Dia saves diagrams in several formats, including XML, EPS, SVG, XFIG and PNG.

Diagrams in Dia can span multiple pages. For a few examples of diagrams created in Dia, see http://live.gnome.org/Dia/Examples. Dia is freeware and open source.

Answer 2

Microsoft Visio is pretty much designed for this task - whilst expensive, it's very good.

Answer 3

SmartDraw is great. Visio is good too, but not as feature-rich.

Google Docs has also recently added flowchart support too.

Answer 4

Rational Software Modeler (used to be Rational Rose).

It also comes with a Microsoft .NET Extension that allows you to do .NET code generation from certain models.

Answer 5

I am using OmniGraffle which is not free but I don't regret buying a license at all

Answer 6

I've used yEd with some success. Never did anything real fancy with it though.

Answer 7

I use the combo Gliffy and MindMeister.

Answer 8

There's an open-source program with features similar to Visio called Dia.

For UML, there's ArgoUML.

Answer 9

I'll throw Freemind on to the heap. Not so much for flow charting, but mindmapping. Good for high level brainstorming sessions.

Answer 10

There is also Visual Paradigm for UML. The community edition is free for non-commercial use.

Answer 11

I prefer to make diagrams on paper, it's cheap and much, much faster than using a computerized tool. Not so pretty for showing to others though.

Answer 12

For sequence diagrams I like http://www.websequencediagrams.com

Answer 13

you'll find lots of similar questions with a lot of the same answers under the flowchart tag.

Answer 14

I use both Mindmeister (easy to use and free) and Visio 2007 (powerful).

Answer 15

OmniGraffle http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/OmniGraffle/

This is only for the mac, and only the demo part is free, but it worth the money.

Answer 16

Graphviz is good for some type of diagrams.

Answer 17

I used mxGraph and it is very good.

Answer 18

I Like Visio, because of its extensive shapesheets and templates that come with it. If you are also interested in making Wireframes, I can recommend the free wireframing shapesheet from GUUUI.

Also, I use FreeMind for visualising tree-style relations.