gvedit

Open a Graphviz file in the editor

$ gvedit [path/to/graph.gv]

$ gvedit -s [path/to/graph.gv]

$ gvedit -v [path/to/graph.gv]

$ gvedit -?

gvedit [file...]

file...
    One or more Graphviz DOT files to open for editing. If no files are specified, gvedit starts with an empty graph, allowing the user to create a new graph from scratch.

gvedit is a graphical user interface (GUI) application designed for the interactive creation, editing, and visualization of graphs defined in the Graphviz DOT language. It provides a visual environment where users can load existing DOT files, modify graph elements (nodes, edges, attributes), and see the rendered layout instantly. The editor integrates with the various Graphviz layout engines (like dot, neato, twopi, etc.), allowing users to choose different layout algorithms and preview their effects in real-time. This interactive approach makes gvedit a valuable tool for designing complex graph structures, debugging DOT syntax, and exploring different visual representations without repeatedly invoking command-line tools. It supports saving changes back to DOT files and exporting the rendered graph to various image formats, streamlining the graph design workflow.

gvedit is a GUI application and therefore requires a graphical display environment (e.g., X Window System) to function.
It relies heavily on the underlying Graphviz libraries and layout engines for rendering and layout calculations; a complete Graphviz installation is necessary for full functionality.
While gvedit offers interactive editing, it may not support all advanced or experimental features of the DOT language or specific layout engine parameters directly through its graphical interface.

gvedit is an integral part of the Graphviz (Graph Visualization) project, which originated at AT&T Labs Research. Graphviz began development in the late 1990s as a set of open-source tools for drawing graphs specified in simple text files using the DOT language. gvedit was developed to provide a user-friendly graphical front-end to this powerful suite of command-line tools, making graph visualization and editing more accessible to users who prefer an interactive environment over command-line scripting. Its development has progressed alongside the broader Graphviz project, continually enhancing its capabilities for interactive graph design and visualization.

dot(1), neato(1), twopi(1), fdp(1), circo(1), sfdp(1), graphviz(7)