Dia for Windows

Name: Dia
Rating: 2.7 (6 reviews)
Author: Alexander Larsson

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Editors’ Review

Download.com staffFebruary 21, 2024

Technical flowcharts and diagrams are a great way for IT project managers to visually demonstrate the ins and outs of a project to all involved. Dia lets users quickly draw customized flowcharts and diagrams. While the program markets itself toward a more technical crowd, we think it's a great tool for just about anyone looking to create a custom flowchart.

At first glance, there's a lot to Dia's user interface, especially if you're not familiar with image-editing tools. But a visit to the ample Help menu, and especially to the Quickstart section, will have you up and running in no time. The window opens with a blank, gridlike "canvas" in the center. A toolbar sits at the top with various edit, view, and layers options. A toolbox with tools for adding text, scrolling, magnifying, and adding shapes and lines resides below that, as do various objects used for creating a basic flowchart or technical diagram. We immediately jumped in and added specific shapes that represented technical commands, connecting them with lines. For example, the diamond object represents "Decision," while the circle represents "Connector." From there, we were able to customize our flowchart by adding colors to our shapes as well as text. Dia has the ability to create diagrams using UML, or Unified Modeling Language, as well as a long list of other special object categories such as Cisco, Database, and Sybase.

Dia's wide swath of technical objects makes it perfect for IT professionals, but its basic tools and ease of use make it appropriate even for non-techies. Dia installs and uninstalls cleanly and without issues. We highly recommend this program for all users.

What’s new in version 0.97.2

Version 0.97.2-2 contains Dia 0.97.2 with updated base libraries.

Dia for Windows

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Used Dia for Windows?

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Full Specifications

GENERAL

Release: July 9, 2012

Latest update: February 21, 2024

Version: 0.97.2

OPERATING SYSTEMS

Platform: Windows

Operating System

Windows 10
Windows 11
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows 8.1
Windows XP
Windows 2000
Windows 2003
Windows Vista

POPULARITY

Total Downloads: 76,325

Downloads Last Week: 11

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Program available in other languages

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Last Updated

User Reviews

2.7/5

6 User Votes

Good for a Free product
LilSalApril 1, 2013
Pros
Can do my basic diagram / flows I want and is FREE
Cons
1. Keeps crashing so have to remember to save OFTEN 2. Do not like that I cannot highlight text to edit (e.g., if I want to delete one line have to go to beginning of text or end and hit Delete or Backspace 3. Cannot change text color at all
Summary
If it didn't crash so often, and has more text edit options, I'd be a very very happy camper
report problems when using international characters
tccccOctober 2, 2011
Pros
As an engineer, I think the layer property is attractive even if I haven't use the function.
Cons
the user's experiences after installation need to be enhanced.
Summary
The first look of the software has rule on both x and y direction. I wonder the unit of the rules I image a chart within A4 size. I need a boundary for my layout. I installed it on my desktop(vista home premium sp2 in Japanese). The first try with Japanese characters finally works after a hard experience to change the IME from Dia's menu and font at chart's properties. Actually I did not know where is the point to make it to accept Japanese characters. When I made another new diagram, it refused to accept Japanese any more. Sure I tried hard to repeat my experience on the first diagram.
Cannot edit *.dia file
jeetchelOctober 28, 2010
Pros
Free Large collection of symbols
Cons
Very user unfriendly ... pain to use. Cannot edit files in its own format (*.dia). Its like you have got only one chance to finalize everything, as next time you won't be able to edit the document.
Summary
Makes great flow charts, just as expected!
LouBarrNovember 27, 2009
Pros
Easy, quick installation. Program contains the same options as purchased flow chart programs. I can produce charts very quickly, export to jpg or png for inclusion in specs or reports. Would recommend to user familiar with flow charting programs.
Cons
Would be a little difficult to use for a first timer who has never used flow chart software before, but once you get started, it's not that hard.
Summary
I like the program as it's easy to make / modify flow charts. I use it for workflow diagrams, so I cannot relate to complex schematics. For my purpose, it's very quick. I like that I can use a basic drawing, modify for another use case and save it. The arrows are easy to draw and connect. Good variety of shapes (for my needs), It also has variety of line weights and fonts. There really is no feature that I need that it does not have. The software is stable as I have had no crashes or exception messages. To date, I've made 20-25 charts with no problems. Therefore, I recommend it for those looking for a flow-charting, schematic type software.
Ok for me until it closed unexpectedly
Jacqueline GoodisonFebruary 3, 2009
Pros
Take my review with a grain of salt because I do not use these programs often. I am a total newbie. I felt comfortable with this one, but then as soon as I learned how to set up a flow chart how I wanted, it crashed and everything disappeared.
Cons
It closed unexpectedly on me not saving anything. (I usually save as I go but I just got started with this...)
Summary
I was looking for a simple flowchart program. This looks okay. It's safe. I can't really not recommend it except for the fact that it closed unexpectedly on me. It might be good for some people. Seems middle of the road not too technical but has lots of options, and a little advanced for the newbie.
Featureless, poor UI, doesn't do what it claims to
kunalasharAugust 29, 2008
Pros
Free. Primitive shape capabilities (such as lines and polygons).
Cons
Can't access system clipboard to cut/copy/paste anything. Poor user interface No inherent capabilities to produce useful diagrams. Buggy export capabilities
Summary
Use it only if you don't have MS Paint or any other better software

Developer’s Description

By Alexander Larsson

Create several different types of visual diagrams such as flowcharts.

Dia is open-source visual-editing software that can be used to draw many different kinds of diagrams. It currently has special objects to help draw entity relationship diagrams, UML diagrams, flowcharts, network diagrams, and many other diagrams. It is also possible to add support for new shapes by writing simple XML files, using a subset of SVG to draw the shape. It can load and save diagrams to a custom XML format (gzipped by default, to save space), can export diagrams to a number of formats, including EPS, SVG, XFIG, WMF and PNG, and can print diagrams (including ones that span multiple pages).

Dia for Windows

Editors’ Review

What’s new in version 0.97.2

Dia for Windows

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User Reviews

Good for a Free product

report problems when using international characters

Cannot edit *.dia file

Makes great flow charts, just as expected!

Ok for me until it closed unexpectedly

Featureless, poor UI, doesn't do what it claims to

Developer’s Description