Processes, interactions and lifecycle
C4 dynamic diagram (numbered messages)
One scenario as a numbered sequence of interactions between containers: who calls whom, in what order, for this story.
c4.dynamic@1New DDN source
Why use it?
Static structure never shows order; a dynamic view answers "what actually happens when X".
When it helps
Explaining a flow-through-scenario (login, checkout, failure handling).
How to read it
- Read the numbers in order — they are the story.
- Each number is one interaction with a name and a direction.
What you need
- The scenario
- The ordered interactions
- The containers involved
Things to check
- Do not number interactions you have not traced.
- Do not mix scenarios on one diagram.
Scope of this diagram
A recorded order, not a runtime trace; choreography conformance is out of scope.
Work with the converted example
- Open the viewer and select
dynamic. Inspect the rendered view and its source. - Open the designer. Keep the selected profile and inspect its legal palette and property controls.
- Change one displayed title or an appropriate data value. Apply the edit and check the resulting diagram.
- Run the verifier and review its diagnostics before moving complete content into review.
- Download your edited DDN source to retain the change.
The example uses the indentation-based ddn-next-1 dialect. The language guide explains reusable definitions, dotted data rows and explicit property blocks.