drupal_site_dfd_analyzer

Automatically generates Data Flow Diagrams of your Drupal site by analyzing content types, fields, paragraphs, and taxonomy. Includes SVG, PNG, and Draw.io export options.

Overview

The Drupal Site DFD Analyzer module scans your Drupal installation and automatically generates a visual Data Flow Diagram (DFD) representing how content types, fields, paragraphs, and taxonomy entities relate to each other. This tool is ideal for developers, architects, auditors, and teams who need clear visibility into a site's content architecture.

Features

Automated Architecture Scanning

Detects and maps:

Content types and their fields
Paragraph types and nested references
Taxonomy vocabularies and fields
Views relationships where possible

Displays all connections in a clear, visual layout.

DFD Visualization

Automatically generates a structured DFD diagram
Color-coded entity types:
- Content Types: Blue
- Paragraphs: Yellow
- Taxonomies: Red
Field names displayed as relationship labels
Auto layout with a clean grid system

Export Tools

Export the diagram in multiple formats:

SVG Export — High-quality vector graphic, perfect for documentation and further editing
PNG Export — High-resolution PNG (2× scale) with white background for readability
Draw.io Export (mxGraph XML) — Opens directly in draw.io and is fully editable

Smart Layout Engine

200px spacing between nodes
Line wrapping at 800px width
Preserves readability and logical relationships

Browser Compatibility

SVG export: All modern browsers
PNG export: All modern browsers (requires Canvas support)
Draw.io export: Universal XML download

Installation

Install the module using Composer:

composer require drupal/drupal_site_dfd_analyzer

Or download and enable it via Extend → Modules page in your Drupal admin interface.

Usage Guide

Navigate to Administration → Reports → Site DFD Analyzer
Wait for the diagram to fully load
Use any of the export options:
- Download as PNG — Downloads a high-quality PNG image
- Download as SVG — Downloads a vector SVG file
- Open in Draw.io — Downloads XML file that opens directly in draw.io

No configuration required—the module analyzes your site structure automatically.

Export Features in Detail

1. SVG Export

Button: "Download as SVG"
Format: Vector SVG file
Usage: Perfect for high-quality prints and further editing
Filename: dfd-diagram.svg
Technical Details: Uses direct DOM serialization

2. PNG Export

Button: "Download as PNG"
Format: High-resolution PNG image (2× scale factor)
Usage: Great for presentations and documentation
Filename: dfd-diagram.png
Background: White background automatically added
Technical Details: Uses HTML5 Canvas with 2× scaling for clarity

3. Draw.io Export

Button: "Open in Draw.io"
Format: Draw.io compatible XML file
Usage: Import directly into draw.io for further editing
Filename: dfd_diagram.xml
Technical Details: Follows the mxGraph format specification

Color Coding in Draw.io Export:

Content Types (Nodes): Blue rectangles with rounded corners
Paragraphs: Yellow rectangles with rounded corners
Taxonomies: Red diamond shapes
Relationships: Arrows with field names as labels

How to Import into Draw.io:

Click "Open in Draw.io" button to download the XML file
Go to draw.io
Click "Open Existing Diagram" or drag and drop the file
Select the downloaded .xml file
Your DFD will load with full editability

Requirements

This module depends on:

node (Drupal core)
taxonomy (Drupal core)
views (Drupal core)
paragraphs module

No external libraries are required.

Recommended Add-on Modules

Devel — Debug and inspect entities
WebProfiler — Deeper technical insights
Entity Reference Revisions — Enhanced paragraph relationships

Comparison with Similar Modules

Module Difference Entity Diagram Generates diagrams but lacks modern exports, paragraphs support, and Mermaid rendering Content Model Documentation Documentation only—no DFD visualization or export tools Structure Sync Config sync utility rather than architectural mapping

Drupal Site DFD Analyzer stands out due to full DFD generation, robust export tools, and modern UI.

Technical Notes

Export buttons are disabled until the diagram fully renders
PNG exports include a white background for better readability
Draw.io format preserves all relationships and entity types
The exported diagrams maintain the same color scheme and layout logic
All exports maintain the same visual structure as the diagram

Support & Contributions

Issues, feature requests, and patches are welcome via the project issue queue. Contributions, pull requests, and suggestions are gratefully accepted.

Maintainer

Bhumika Madan

For community documentation, demo videos, or tutorials, please check the project page on Drupal.org.