Skip to main content

TRN

TRN stands for Tabular Recipe Notation. It shows how ingredients and intermediate outcomes combine into one or more final results.

Use this type​

Use TRN for recipes, crafting trees, assembly instructions, and other nested transformations.

Source format​

The source format is Tabular Recipe Notation text. Enter the source in the diagram.zip editor.

Syntax essentials​

  • Optionally begin with .layout combined or .layout individual; the default is combined.
  • Declare each leaf value with ingredient.
  • Declare a meaningful final or reusable result with an outcome block.
  • Keep incidental conversions, such as ore to bars, as steps inside the outcome that consumes them.
  • Add a full-width preparation row with instruction.
  • Long instruction rows wrap and grow vertically to preserve their complete text.
  • Add a quoted display label after an identifier when needed.
  • Each + queues an input for the next ->; place it immediately before the operation that consumes it.
  • Columns represent dependency depth. Independent operations on disjoint inputs can share a column.
  • Consecutive -> lines without a new input extend the same branch from left to right.
  • Write one complete instruction in each -> step.
  • Combined layout places prerequisite outcomes before direct ingredients in stable FIFO order.
  • Add portion after an outcome label or identifier when the result has a useful quantity.
  • Use {portion} in an action to embed that outcome quantity.
  • Start comments with #; OCR importers should record uncertain text in comments instead of guessing.

Example​

.layout combined

ingredient flour "Bread flour"
ingredient water
ingredient yeast
ingredient salt

outcome bread portion 1 loaf {
  + flour 500 g
  + water 350 ml
  + yeast 7 g
  + salt 10 g
  -> mix
  -> knead
  -> proof for 1 hour
  -> bake {portion} at 230°C for 30 minutes
}
Rendered exampleDrag to pan. Use the wheel or controls to zoom.
100%
This view uses the live diagram.zip renderer.

Public authoring contract​

  • Treat TRN source as the only public geometry control surface.
  • Select combined or individual geometry with the .layout directive.
  • Presentation appearance changes palette and canvas treatment. It does not change TRN layout, orientation, wrapping, or packing.
  • Edit the TRN source and request a new render.
  • Do not edit generated SVG, CSS classes, data attributes, viewBox values, or renderer implementation files.
  • If the source format cannot express requested geometry, report the limitation instead of patching renderer output.

Origin​

TRN originates with Michael Chu at Cooking for Engineers. Diagram.zip implements a text DSL and SVG renderer for Chu’s tabular recipe concept.

Limitations​

  • The source selects one layout; the SVG does not embed an interactive layout toggle.
  • Combined and individual operation labels do not wrap. Long operation text can overflow.
  • TRN does not expose a source control for custom column packing.

Upstream reference​

TRN documentation