# Creating Elements programmatically

We support a simplified API to make it easier to generate Excalidraw elements programmatically. This API is in beta and subject to change before stable. You can check the [PR](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/pull/6546) for more details.

For this purpose we introduced a new type [`ExcalidrawElementSkeleton`](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/blob/master/packages/excalidraw/data/transform.ts#L133). This is the simplified version of [`ExcalidrawElement`](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/blob/master/packages/excalidraw/element/types.ts#L134) type with the minimum possible attributes so that creating elements programmatically is much easier (especially for cases like binding arrows or creating text containers).

The [`ExcalidrawElementSkeleton`](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/blob/master/packages/excalidraw/data/transform.ts#L133) can be converted to fully qualified Excalidraw elements by using [`convertToExcalidrawElements`](/docs/@excalidraw/excalidraw/api/excalidraw-element-skeleton#converttoexcalidrawelements).

## convertToExcalidrawElements

**_Signature_**

```ts
convertToExcalidrawElements(
  elements: ExcalidrawElementSkeleton,
  opts?: { regenerateIds: boolean }
): ExcalidrawElement[]
```

| Name | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `elements` | [ExcalidrawElementSkeleton](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/blob/master/packages/excalidraw/data/transform.ts#L137) |  | The Excalidraw element Skeleton which needs to be converted to Excalidraw elements. |
| `opts` | `{ regenerateIds: boolean }` | ` {regenerateIds: true}` | By default `id` will be regenerated for all the elements irrespective of whether you pass the `id` so if you don't want the ids to regenerated, you can set this attribute to `false`. |

**_How to use_**

```js
import { convertToExcalidrawElements } from "@excalidraw/excalidraw";
```

This function converts the Excalidraw Element Skeleton to excalidraw elements which could be then rendered on the canvas. Hence calling this function is necessary before passing it to APIs like [`initialData`](https://docs.excalidraw.com/docs/@excalidraw/excalidraw/api/props/initialdata), [`updateScene`](https://docs.excalidraw.com/docs/@excalidraw/excalidraw/api/props/excalidraw-api#updatescene) if you are using the Skeleton API

## Supported Features

### Rectangle, Ellipse, and Diamond

To create these shapes you need to pass its `type` and `x` and `y` coordinates for position. The rest of the attributes are optional\_.

For the Skeleton API to work, `convertToExcalidrawElements` needs to be called before passing it to Excalidraw Component via initialData, updateScene or any such API.

```jsx live
function App() {
  const elements = convertToExcalidrawElements([
    {
      type: "rectangle",
      x: 100,
      y: 250,
    },
    {
      type: "ellipse",
      x: 250,
      y: 250,
    },
    {
      type: "diamond",
      x: 380,
      y: 250,
    },
  ]);
  return (
    <div style={{ height: "500px" }}>
      <Excalidraw
        initialData={{
          elements,
          appState: { zenModeEnabled: true, viewBackgroundColor: "#a5d8ff" },
          scrollToContent: true,
        }}
      />
    </div>
  );
}
```

You can pass additional [`properties`](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/blob/master/packages/excalidraw/element/types.ts#L27) as well to decorate the shapes.

:::info

You can copy the below test examples and replace the elements in the live editor above to test it out.

:::

```js
convertToExcalidrawElements([
  {
    type: "rectangle",
    x: 50,
    y: 250,
    width: 200,
    height: 100,
    backgroundColor: "#c0eb75",
    strokeWidth: 2,
  },
  {
    type: "ellipse",
    x: 300,
    y: 250,
    width: 200,
    height: 100,
    backgroundColor: "#ffc9c9",
    strokeStyle: "dotted",
    fillStyle: "solid",
    strokeWidth: 2,
  },
  {
    type: "diamond",
    x: 550,
    y: 250,
    width: 200,
    height: 100,
    backgroundColor: "#a5d8ff",
    strokeColor: "#1971c2",
    strokeStyle: "dashed",
    fillStyle: "cross-hatch",
    strokeWidth: 2,
  },
]);
```

![image](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/assets/11256141/70ca7063-88fb-434c-838a-cd466e1bc3c2)

### Text Element

The `type`, `x`, `y` and `text` properties are required to create a text element, rest of the attributes are optional

```js
convertToExcalidrawElements([
  {
    type: "text",
    x: 100,
    y: 100,
    text: "HELLO WORLD!",
  },
  {
    type: "text",
    x: 100,
    y: 150,
    text: "STYLED HELLO WORLD!",
    fontSize: 20,
    strokeColor: "#5f3dc4",
  },
]);
```

![image](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/assets/11256141/085c7ac3-7952-4f22-b9c3-6beb51438526)

### Lines and Arrows

The `type`, `x`, and `y` properties are required, rest of the attributes are optional

```js
convertToExcalidrawElements([
  {
    type: "arrow",
    x: 100,
    y: 20,
  },
  {
    type: "line",
    x: 100,
    y: 60,
  },
]);
```

![image](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/assets/11256141/0c22a06b-b568-4ab5-9848-a5f0160f66a6)

#### With Addtional properties

```js
convertToExcalidrawElements([
  {
    type: "arrow",
    x: 450,
    y: 20,
    startArrowhead: "circle",
    endArrowhead: "triangle",
    strokeColor: "#1971c2",
    strokeWidth: 2,
  },
  {
    type: "line",
    x: 450,
    y: 60,
    strokeColor: "#2f9e44",
    strokeWidth: 2,
    strokeStyle: "dotted",
  },
]);
```

![image](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/assets/11256141/14f1bf3f-ad81-4096-8c1c-f35235084ec5)

### Text Containers

In addition to `type`, `x` and `y` properties, [`label`](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/blob/master/packages/excalidraw/data/transform.ts#L124C7-L130C59) property is required for text containers. The `text` property in `label` is required, rest of the attributes are optional.

If you don't provide the dimensions of container, we calculate it based of the label dimensions.

```js
convertToExcalidrawElements([
  {
    type: "rectangle",
    x: 300,
    y: 290,
    label: {
      text: "RECTANGLE TEXT CONTAINER",
    },
  },
  {
    type: "ellipse",
    x: 500,
    y: 100,
    label: {
      text: "ELLIPSE\n TEXT CONTAINER",
    },
  },
  {
    type: "diamond",
    x: 100,
    y: 100,
    label: {
      text: "DIAMOND\nTEXT CONTAINER",
    },
  },
]);
```

![image](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/assets/11256141/1e2c7b5d-fcb4-4f86-946d-0bfb0e97d532)

#### With Additional properties

```js
convertToExcalidrawElements([
  {
    type: "diamond",
    x: -120,
    y: 100,
    width: 270,
    backgroundColor: "#fff3bf",
    strokeWidth: 2,
    label: {
      text: "STYLED DIAMOND TEXT CONTAINER",
      strokeColor: "#099268",
      fontSize: 20,
    },
  },
  {
    type: "rectangle",
    x: 180,
    y: 150,
    width: 200,
    strokeColor: "#c2255c",
    label: {
      text: "TOP LEFT ALIGNED RECTANGLE TEXT CONTAINER",
      textAlign: "left",
      verticalAlign: "top",
      fontSize: 20,
    },
  },
  {
    type: "ellipse",
    x: 400,
    y: 130,
    strokeColor: "#f08c00",
    backgroundColor: "#ffec99",
    width: 200,
    label: {
      text: "STYLED ELLIPSE TEXT CONTAINER",
      strokeColor: "#c2255c",
    },
  },
]);
```

![image](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/assets/11256141/f8123cd1-c9aa-452d-b96b-05c846c5030d)

### Labelled Arrows

Similar to Text Containers, you can create labelled arrows as well.

```js
convertToExcalidrawElements([
  {
    type: "arrow",
    x: 100,
    y: 100,
    label: {
      text: "LABELED ARROW",
    },
  },
  {
    type: "arrow",
    x: 100,
    y: 200,
    label: {
      text: "STYLED LABELED ARROW",
      strokeColor: "#099268",
      fontSize: 20,
    },
  },
  {
    type: "arrow",
    x: 100,
    y: 300,
    strokeColor: "#1098ad",
    strokeWidth: 2,
    label: {
      text: "ANOTHER STYLED LABELLED ARROW",
    },
  },
  {
    type: "arrow",
    x: 100,
    y: 400,
    strokeColor: "#1098ad",
    strokeWidth: 2,
    label: {
      text: "ANOTHER STYLED LABELLED ARROW",
      strokeColor: "#099268",
    },
  },
]);
```

![image](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/assets/11256141/70635e9b-f1c8-4839-89e1-73b813abeb93)

### Arrow bindings

To bind arrow to a shape you need to specify its [`start`](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/blob/master/packages/excalidraw/data/transform.ts#L86) and [`end`](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/blob/master/packages/excalidraw/data/transform.ts#L54) properties. You need to pass either `type` or `id` property in `start` and `end` properties, rest of the attributes are optional

```js
convertToExcalidrawElements([
  {
    type: "arrow",
    x: 255,
    y: 239,
    label: {
      text: "HELLO WORLD!!",
    },
    start: {
      type: "rectangle",
    },
    end: {
      type: "ellipse",
    },
  },
]);
```

When position for `start` and `end ` properties are not specified, we compute it according to arrow position.

![image](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/assets/11256141/5aff09fd-b7e8-4c63-98be-da40b0698704)

```js
convertToExcalidrawElements([
  {
    type: "arrow",
    x: 255,
    y: 239,
    label: {
      text: "HELLO WORLD!!",
    },
    start: {
      type: "text",
      text: "HEYYYYY",
    },
    end: {
      type: "text",
      text: "WHATS UP ?",
    },
  },
]);
```

![image](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/assets/11256141/2a9f03ac-e45c-4fbd-9be0-5d9f8c8e0343)

#### When passing `id`

Useful when you want to bind multiple arrows to one diagram / use some existing diagram

```js
convertToExcalidrawElements([
  {
    type: "ellipse",
    id: "ellipse-1",
    strokeColor: "#66a80f",
    x: 390,
    y: 356,
    width: 150,
    height: 150,
    backgroundColor: "#d8f5a2",
  },
  {
    type: "diamond",
    id: "diamond-1",
    strokeColor: "#9c36b5",
    width: 100,
    x: -30,
    y: 380,
  },
  {
    type: "arrow",
    x: 100,
    y: 440,
    width: 295,
    height: 35,
    strokeColor: "#1864ab",
    start: {
      type: "rectangle",
      width: 150,
      height: 150,
    },
    end: {
      id: "ellipse-1",
    },
  },
  {
    type: "arrow",
    x: 60,
    y: 420,
    width: 330,
    strokeColor: "#e67700",
    start: {
      id: "diamond-1",
    },
    end: {
      id: "ellipse-1",
    },
  },
]);
```

![image](https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw/assets/11256141/a8b047c8-2eed-4aea-82a2-e1e6bbddb8d4)

### Frames

To create a frame, you need to pass `type`, `children` (list of Excalidraw element ids). The rest of the attributes are optional.

```ts
{
  type: "frame";
  children: readonly ExcalidrawElement["id"][];
  name?: string;
 } & Partial<ExcalidrawFrameElement>);
```

```ts
convertToExcalidrawElements([
  {
    "type": "rectangle",
    "x": 10,
    "y": 10,
    "strokeWidth": 2,
    "id": "1"
  },
  {
    "type": "diamond",
    "x": 120,
    "y": 20,
    "backgroundColor": "#fff3bf",
    "strokeWidth": 2,
    "label": {
      "text": "HELLO EXCALIDRAW",
      "strokeColor": "#099268",
      "fontSize": 30
    },
    "id": "2"
  },
  {
    "type": "frame",
    "children": ["1", "2"],
    "name": "My frame"
  }]
}
```
