Components
Components are items used to model things like systems, services, databases, API endpoints, and so much more. They are reusable throughout Revision, so you can place many instances of them in your diagrams.
An edit to a component will be reflected everywhere it is used.
State and Lifecycle
Components can have a Draft , Active or Archived state.
Draft components are not part of your overall model, and can as such not be used in active diagrams.
Active components can be used anywhere, in both draft and active diagrams.
Archived components remain in your diagrams, but are excluded from the model and are not reusable.
If a component is used in an active diagram, it cannot be changed back to a draft until it no longer is.
When you do decide to delete a component, Revision will inform you if—and if so, where—it still is used, to help you make sure you are not changing your model in an unexpected way.
Type
Types are used to give further context to a component. In higher-level diagrams, types are typically things like System , External system , User , Customer , and other more abstract types. In lower-level diagrams types are usally more concrete, such as Database , or even more specific, like Azure Logic Apps , etc.
Revision ships with more than a thousand types with icons ready for you to use, but should the need arise you can upload custom icons (in SVG format) to create your own types.
Attributes
Attributes are a way of adding custom metadata to your components. Learn more on the documentation page for Attributes.
Attachments
Attachments are files that can be uploaded and attached to your components.