Edges carry meaning
An edge connects two nodes and shows how they relate. Drag from a node's handle to another node to create one. Select an edge to add a label, change its arrowheads and direction, recolor it, or switch its routing between curved, squared, and straight. Double-clicking an edge edits its label in place — on a challenge Grid, where the Inspector is hidden, that is the only edge setting you can change: the direction is the one you dragged.
Diagram components: REST API, Message Queue, Worker Service.
Interactive diagram — open this article in RodGrid to explore it.
Common mistakes
- Direction-free edges where flow matters. "A — B" leaves the reader guessing who calls whom; pick the arrowhead that matches reality.
- Unlabeled edges between ambiguous nodes. A gateway connected to a queue could mean enqueue, consume, or monitor — one word on the edge settles it.
- Letting edges cross nodes. A line ploughing through a box reads as a connection to it; add a waypoint or switch routing instead.
Try it on a Grid
Open the Login Flow challenge — a flow lives or dies by its edges. Drill one skill: every edge directed and labelled with the condition or action it carries. A good run can be read aloud, edge by edge, as a coherent story.