The latest articles on DEV Community by Daniel MacDonald (@glueops). https://dev.to/glueops https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3265870%2F3742268f-7811-40c7-809e-dacba24885ac.png https://dev.to/glueops en Daniel MacDonald Sun, 15 Jun 2025 17:20:27 +0000 https://dev.to/glueops/why-i-built-glue-a-flowchart-tool-that-doesnt-let-you-drag-anything-10ci https://dev.to/glueops/why-i-built-glue-a-flowchart-tool-that-doesnt-let-you-drag-anything-10ci <p>I built Glue because I got tired of dragging boxes around just to get my ideas out.</p> <p>Most flowchart tools feel like graphic design suites. You spend more time aligning connectors and fighting toolbars than actually thinking.</p> <p><strong>Glue doesn’t do that.</strong></p> <p>You type. It sticks. </p> <p>Each symbol appears where it belongs. Flow connects without dragging. Ideas move as fast as your brain can type.</p> <h2> What It Does </h2> <ul> <li><p>Flowcharts by typing, not dragging </p></li> <li><p>Add branches instantly </p></li> <li><p>Autosave, undo/redo, session memory </p></li> <li><p>Windows MSI installer + portable ZIP </p></li> <li><p>Trial with license unlock (yes, I built the license system too) </p></li> <li><p>Drag-and-drop branches between charts — <em>they part like the Red Sea</em></p></li> </ul> <p><a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fj1ko8z0m0bj0yjw5mw6g.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fj1ko8z0m0bj0yjw5mw6g.png" alt="Image description" width="800" height="689"></a><br> <a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2F44l8oc2fbpchkubmmaft.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2F44l8oc2fbpchkubmmaft.png" alt="Image description" width="800" height="898"></a></p> <h2> Who It’s For </h2> <ul> <li><p>Devs outlining systems or state machines </p></li> <li><p>Writers mapping plots or arcs </p></li> <li><p>Game designers planning encounters </p></li> <li><p>Anyone tired of feeling like flowcharting is a fight</p></li> </ul> <h2> Download </h2> <p><a href="https://glueapp.itch.io/glue" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://glueapp.itch.io/glue</a> or visit my site <a href="https://lavachart.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://lavachart.com</a>​</p> <p>You’ll get the free trial. After 7 days, unlock it with a license key. One-time purchase. No accounts. No SaaS glue traps.</p> <p>More coming soon. If you try it and it helps, let me know. If it breaks, I’ll fix it.</p> <p>Stick fast, </p> <p><strong>– glueops</strong></p> Daniel MacDonald Sat, 14 Jun 2025 22:17:18 +0000 https://dev.to/glueops/flowcharting-without-dragging-meet-glue-49pc https://dev.to/glueops/flowcharting-without-dragging-meet-glue-49pc <h1> I built a flowchart tool so I could stop dragging boxes and start thinking </h1> <p>I got tired of flowchart tools that made me feel like a reluctant graphic designer.</p> <p>Dragging boxes. Snapping connectors. Nudging arrows like a drunk Tetris game.</p> <p>So I built <strong>Glue</strong>.</p> <p>It’s a Windows app that lets you make flowcharts by typing.<br><br> Just type your idea, hit enter — it sticks.</p> <h2> What Glue Does </h2> <ul> <li> Type-based flowcharting — no dragging</li> <li> Auto-layout and spacing</li> <li> Undo/redo, autosave, and multi-chart session memory</li> <li> MSI installer with Start Menu shortcut (or portable .zip)</li> <li> Trial version with offline license enforcement (7-day cache)</li> <li> Designed for people who think fast and hate slow UI</li> </ul> <h2> Download </h2> <p>Get it here:<br><br> <a href="https://glueapp.itch.io/glue" rel="noopener noreferrer">glueapp.itch.io/glue</a> or https:lavachart.com/download/</p> <p>You’ll get the MSI installer.<br><br> Works on Windows 10/11. Trial version runs for 7 days. After that, you can unlock it with a onetime license key ($19.99).</p> <h2> 🧱 Why I Built It </h2> <p>I originally called it Lavachart. It started as a flowchart engine for my own design notes.</p> <p>It evolved into a full memory-loaded chart system with license validation, offline caching, and session restore — and a war on bloat.</p> <p>No cloud. No drag. No web app fluff.</p> <h2> 🧠 Who It's For </h2> <ul> <li>Writers mapping plot and character arcs</li> <li>Engineers designing processes</li> <li>DevOps teams diagramming workflows</li> <li>Anyone who wants to <strong>think, not click</strong> </li> </ul> <blockquote> <p><em>Just type. It sticks.</em><br><br> We stick. We don’t spray.</p> </blockquote> <p>I’m happy to answer questions, fix bugs, or improve it for anyone who actually uses it.<br><br> And yeah — if you try it and it helps, let me know. That sticks too.</p> <p>Thanks for reading,<br> — <code>@glueops</code></p> pro devops programming python