Markedup

Markedup is a lightweight markup language and document format designed to enable authors to write rich, structured content in plain text. It aims to keep the source readable while providing reliable conversion to structured formats such as HTML and PDF.

Origin and development: Markedup emerged as an open-source project in the early 2020s, created by a community of writers and developers seeking a minimal syntax for technical and literary documents. The project maintains reference implementations and a growing ecosystem of third-party tools.

Design and syntax: The language emphasizes a small, orthogonal set of constructs for sections, lists, emphasis, links, and code blocks. Markedup documents are written in plain text and parsed by a single-pass processor; output can be customized via templates or style sheets. The syntax is designed to be forgiving for long-form writing while enabling precise structure for automated processing.

Tooling and formats: The canonical toolchain includes a parser, a renderer that converts markedup to HTML, and optional exporters for formats such as PDF and ePub. Extensions provide support for math, diagrams, or citations through a modular plugin system. The ecosystem emphasizes portability across platforms and ease of integration into writing workflows.

Usage and reception: Markedup is used by individuals creating documentation, blogs, and educational notes. Advocates cite readability in source form and predictable output, while critics note occasional ambiguity in complex layouts and a learning curve for advanced features. The project remains community-driven, with ongoing discussions about standardization and best practices.