What do you use to make programming flowcharts, diagrams, etc?

Question

I've always just used OpenOffice Draw and it just occurred to me that there has to be something better out there.

So what do you use? Do you like it?

Bonus points for free things and for web apps.

Solution 1

I use Dia, the Diagram Editor.

Dia - Best Freeware Flowcharting (Visio) Tool

Dia is a free flowcharting tool, similar to Microsofts Visio. It is useful for building informal diagrams, database diagrams and database models, as well as drawing more complex charts such as UML diagrams.

Objects in the charts can be connected with lines and arrows in a variety of styles.

Object types in Dia include AADL, Assorted, BPMN, ChemEng, Chonogram, Cisco, Civil, Cybernetics, Electric, ER, Flowchart, FS, Gane and Sarson, GRAFCET, Jigsaw, Ladder, Logic, Map, isometric, MSE, Network, Pneumatic / Hydrualic, RE-i*, RE-Jackson, RE_kaos, SADT/IDEFO, SDL, Sybase and UML.

Dia saves diagrams in several formats, including XML, EPS, SVG, XFIG and PNG.

Diagrams in Dia can span multiple pages. For a few examples of diagrams created in Dia, see http://live.gnome.org/Dia/Examples. Dia is freeware and open source.

Solution 2

Microsoft Visio is pretty much designed for this task - whilst expensive, it's very good.

Solution 3

I am using OmniGraffle which is not free but I don't regret buying a license at all

Solution 4

For sequence diagrams I like http://www.websequencediagrams.com

Solution 5

I used mxGraph and it is very good.

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Comments

[TLiebe]

I'll second that. I get it as part of an MSDN subscription and find it useful for flowcharts, network diagrams and database diagrams. I haven't used OpenOffice Draw so I can't compare it but Visio seems to have everything I need.

[Alex Feinman]

OmniGraffle is an excellent tool. Sadly Mac-only; I used to bring my Mac to work just for this program alone!

[Kristof Provost]

It might be good for flowcharts but it's absolutely horrible for UML, particularly sequence diagrams.

[Max Galkin]

IMHO, Visio is hard to use and takes too much time to make a diagram :(

[Kaitsu]

+1 for Gliffy, haven't used MindMeister.

[Sebastian]

You can do fancy things with yEd, too obviously: yEd Gallery