Block Diagram

Use Mermaid block-beta when you want a clean block layout without the extra semantics of flowcharts or architecture diagrams.

Basic template

block-beta
    columns 2
    a["Input"]
    b["Process"]

Core syntax

• Start with block-beta
• Optionally set layout with columns N
• Create blocks with id["Label"]
• Connect blocks with a --> b
• Use rows and columns to make dashboard-style layouts

Common example

block-beta
    columns 3
    input["Source Data"]
    validate["Validate"]
    transform["Transform"]
    load["Load"]
    report["Reports"]
    alerts["Alerts"]

    input --> validate --> transform --> load
    load --> report
    load --> alerts

Good for

• High-level processing stages
• Business capability maps
• Simple architecture summaries

Watch for

• This is better for layout-first diagrams than decision-heavy workflows
• If you need branches, decisions, or edge labels, flowcharts are often clearer