prisma-flow 0.1.2

Lightweight Python tools for generating PRISMA-style flow diagrams without system dependencies.

prisma-flow

prisma-flow is a lightweight Python package for generating PRISMA-style flow diagrams for evidence synthesis workflows.

Unlike Graphviz-based tools, prisma-flow does not require system-level graph layout binaries. Unlike Mermaid-based tools, it does not require Node or Mermaid CLI. The default renderer is a pure-Python, template-based SVG generator.

The project is designed for systematic reviews, scoping reviews, evidence syntheses, and literature review workflows.

Features

• Pure-Python SVG rendering by default
• Standalone HTML export
• Mermaid text export without Mermaid CLI
• JSON input/output in the base install
• Optional YAML input/output via prisma-flow[yaml]
• Optional PNG method that clearly reports the missing optional dependency
• Python API and prisma-flow command-line interface
• PRISMA count validation with errors and warnings

Installation

pip install prisma-flow

or:

uv add prisma-flow

Optional YAML support:

uv add "prisma-flow[yaml]"

Optional PNG support, when a supported backend is added:

uv add "prisma-flow[png]"

Python API

from prismaflow import PrismaFlow

flow = PrismaFlow.new_review(
    records_identified_databases=1240,
    records_identified_registers=50,
    records_removed_duplicates=210,
    records_removed_automation=0,
    records_removed_other=0,
    records_screened=1080,
    records_excluded=950,
    reports_sought=130,
    reports_not_retrieved=10,
    reports_assessed=120,
    reports_excluded={
        "Wrong population": 30,
        "Wrong intervention": 20,
        "Wrong outcome": 15,
        "Not primary research": 15,
    },
    studies_included=40,
)

report = flow.validate()
print(report.format_text())

flow.to_svg("prisma.svg")
flow.to_html("prisma.html")
flow.to_mermaid("prisma.mmd")
flow.to_json("review.json")

CLI usage

Validate input data:

prisma-flow validate examples/basic_new_review.json

Render SVG:

prisma-flow render examples/basic_new_review.json -o prisma.svg

Render other base-install formats:

prisma-flow render examples/basic_new_review.json --format html -o prisma.html
prisma-flow render examples/basic_new_review.json --format mermaid -o prisma.mmd

If validation fails, the CLI prints a report and exits with a non-zero status:

Validation failed:
- records_screened should equal identified records minus removed records. Expected: 1080 Found: 1090

Data model

The v0.1 implementation supports the PRISMA 2020 new-review databases/registers template:

from prismaflow import (
    EligibilityStage,
    IdentificationStage,
    IncludedStage,
    PrismaFlow,
    PrismaTemplate,
    ScreeningStage,
)

flow = PrismaFlow(
    template=PrismaTemplate.PRISMA_2020_NEW_DATABASES_REGISTERS,
    identification=IdentificationStage(
        records_identified_databases=1240,
        records_identified_registers=50,
    ),
    screening=ScreeningStage(
        records_removed_duplicates=210,
        records_removed_automation=0,
        records_removed_other=0,
        records_screened=1080,
        records_excluded=950,
    ),
    eligibility=EligibilityStage(
        reports_sought=130,
        reports_not_retrieved=10,
        reports_assessed=120,
        reports_excluded={"Wrong population": 30},
    ),
    included=IncludedStage(studies_included=40),
)

Dependency policy

SVG, HTML, Mermaid, and JSON work with the base install. YAML is optional. PNG is intentionally optional and not implemented as a required renderer in v0.1.

The package does not require Graphviz, Cairo, CairoSVG, Node, Mermaid CLI, Inkscape, Playwright, browser engines, Matplotlib, or Plotly.

Development

conda env create -f conda/dev.yaml
conda activate prismaflow
poetry config virtualenvs.create false
poetry install --extras "dev yaml"

Run the same workflow through Makim:

makim tests.linter
makim tests.unit
makim package.build
makim docs.build
makim all.ci

Documentation

The documentation site is built with Quarto:

quarto render docs

Preview locally:

quarto preview docs

License

BSD-3-Clause.