#Git branch diagrams (Mermaid fence)

#What it is

The same diagram as Git branch diagrams; only how you write it differs. This page uses a ```mermaid fence and writes Mermaid source directly.

#When to use it

• The source goes to GitHub and you want the diagram to render there — Pamphlet's own syntax shows up as plain text on GitHub
• You already know Mermaid and would rather not learn a second thing
• You need something the own syntax cannot express (the Traps section below says what)

Otherwise use the own syntax: the field names are fixed, and a mistake is reported on the line it is on.

#How to write it

```mermaid
gitGraph
  commit id: "initial"
  branch themes
  commit id: "thirteen themes"
  checkout main
  merge themes
```

#What comes out

Drawn to SVG at compile time and inlined into the output, so the reader downloads no drawing library and makes no network request. Colours follow the theme; scroll to zoom, drag to pan, double-click to reset.

#Traps

• branch forks, checkout switches back, merge merges
• The string after id: needs quotes
• Past ten commits it compresses into a line; draw only the ones that matter