Parsing draw.io Diagrams Back into Metadata

Learn how to extract structured metadata from draw.io diagrams using Python — enabling feedback loops, visual diffing, and hybrid workflows that bridge business input with technical design.

Summary

📥 Parse .drawio files into clean metadata rows

🔍 Extract shapes, connectors, coordinates, and labels

💡 Enrich your metadata store with business-drawn diagrams

🔄 Support round-trip flows: diagram → metadata → code

⚠️ Handle edge cases with grouping, styles, and annotations

🛠️ Store everything back in DuckDB for easy querying and reuse

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Part 3: Closing the Loop — From Diagrams to Metadata

In the first two articles, we explored how to generate draw.io diagrams from metadata. Now, we’ll walk through the reverse: parsing .drawio diagrams back into structured metadata. This closes the loop — enabling collaboration between visual thinkers and metadata-driven developers.

🔄 Why Parse Diagrams Back?