Using the to operation

Remember, TikZ calls the instructions on a path an operation. Examples were the node and edge operations. What we draw with edge is not part of the main path. So, each edge can have its own appearance regarding styles or arrows, which makes it very flexible.

While the main focus of the current chapter is on the edge operation, there’s another similar and handy one: the to operation. You will see it in examples on the internet and in the documentation, so let’s also discuss it here, briefly at least.

The to operation can also be used to draw lines, curves, and arrows between nodes. to works with the current path options, such as color and arrow style. On the other hand, edge inherits the main path options but can take more path options in addition, such as its own color and arrow style. Suppose you don’t need that many different path options. In that case, you can stick with to, which still understands the connection-specific options...