Software Architecture in Golang: C4 Model for Diagraming and Documentation

C4 Model is sort of a slim UML where only the relevant data is presented to the user that happens to be interested in learning about the Software Architecture being described. In practice what this means is that the consumer of the diagram is who drives how much information is displayed.

The C4 Model defines four levels of diagrams:

* Context (L1): the highest level, it shows how the system relates to users and other systems. It is used as a quick introduction to the system, usually meant to be presented to stakeholders, this is the big picture diagram.
* Container (L2): breaks down the system into interrelated containers, containers are executable and deployable sub-systems. It is meant to be shared with people that need more technical details about how the system is composed.
* Component (L3): takes the containers and decomposes them into interrelated components, relates them to other containers or other systems. It is meant to be read by engineers not familiar with the system that are planning to work on it.
* Code (L4): provides more details about how the actual code is being implemented. It is meant to clearly display some concrete details about the most complex pieces of the system.

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RELEVANT LINKS

00:00 Start
01:20 What is the C4 Model?
01:41 How to use the C4 Model?
03:43 C4 Model with GOA
08:45 C4 Model with Structurizr
10:58 C4 Model with PlantUML
14:12 C4 Model Conclusions

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[piyusht]

Amazing content! Extremely practical and useful, your channel is way underrated. I hope the channel gains the popularity it deserves.

[bjugdbjk]

Ur channel is a treasure man !! u r a legend.
Amazing content !!

[martinnorberg]

How would you maintain a C4 Model that describes multiple microservices and the communication between them? A separate repo? Document it in the api gateway (if you have one)? Let each microservice push it's own C4 Models to a service that collects & combines them?

Cheers!

[brianonango]

I think mermaid.js can also be used to create and visualize c4 models. Especially because of the ability to click on nodes in mermaid.

[maei]

Really great content!!! Thank you so much! Any udemy courses planned?