Visualize your logic in real-time with Live UML for VS Code. This extension instantly transforms C, C++, Java, JS/TS, and Python code into dynamic PlantUML flowcharts and sequence diagrams as you type. All generation and rendering is processed locally on your machine, you get blazing-fast performance and total privacy with zero latency.
Live diagram generation: Automatically generates diagrams as you type
Multiple diagram types: Flowcharts and sequence diagrams
Real-time synchronization: Diagrams update automatically when code changes
Sidebar integration: View and generate diagrams from the sidebar
PlantUML export: Copy PlantUML code to use in other tools like Confluence
Auto-detection: Automatically detects functions/methods in your code
Usage
Open a supported file (C, C++, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python) in VS Code
Click the Live UML icon in the activity bar to open the sidebar
All functions/methods in the current file will be listed in the sidebar
Click on any function to generate diagrams:
Flowchart: Control flow visualization
Sequence Diagram: Function call sequences
Diagrams open in a side panel and update automatically as you edit code
Click "Copy PlantUML Code" to copy the PlantUML source for use in other tools
Supported Languages
Language
File Extensions
C/C++
.c, .h, .cpp, .cc, .cxx, .hpp
Java
.java
JavaScript
.js
TypeScript
.ts, .tsx
Python
.py
Diagram Types
Flowchart
Visualizes the control flow of a function, showing:
Decision points (if/else, switch)
Loops (for, while)
Function calls
Return statements
Sequence Diagram
Shows the sequence of function calls and interactions:
Function/method calls
Return values
Interactions between components
Requirements
VS Code 1.60 or higher
Java 8+ (required for PlantUML diagram generation)
Java is not bundled with the extension to keep the download size small
Extension Settings
This extension contributes the following settings:
liveUml.javaPath: Path to the Java executable used to run PlantUML. Set this if Java is not in your system PATH, or to use a specific Java installation.
Additional Info
The extension generates standard PlantUML code that can be used with:
