diagrammal

Diagrammal is a term used in discussions of diagrammatic modelling to describe a family of diagrammatic languages and notations intended to represent complex systems through visual primitives.

At its core, diagrammal emphasizes the construction of diagrams from a small set of primitives—such as nodes, edges, and containers—that can be composed hierarchically. Diagrams are often layered, enabling separate views of structure, behavior, and constraints. Each diagram carries semantic annotations (labels, predicates, or ontological tags) that tie visual elements to formal concepts.

Semantics in diagrammal are typically defined by mappings to formal models, for example labeled directed graphs, Petri nets, or constraint systems. This allows reasoning about properties such as consistency, reachability, or satisfiability, either within the diagram or across layered representations.

Compared with established notations like UML, BPMN, or flowcharts, diagrammal prioritizes modularity, interoperability across domains, and explicit multi-layer semantics rather than a single-domain execution model.

Historically, diagrammal arose in academic and practitioner discussions as a conceptual approach rather than a universally standardized language. Various research groups have proposed grammars, tooling, and translation schemes, but there is no single governing standard.

Applications of diagrammal span software architecture, systems engineering, knowledge representation, education, and enterprise modelling. Proponents cite its potential to bridge disciplines by providing a common visual vocabulary with formal grounding, while critics point to fragmentation and learning overhead.

See also: diagrammatic reasoning, diagrammatic language, modeling language, graph-based modelling.