documentino

Documentino is an open-source document authoring framework and markup language designed to produce structured, publication-ready documents from plain-text files. It supports multi-format export and emphasizes semantic markup and reproducible workflows.

Origin and development. Documentino originated in online communities of writers and developers in the late 2010s. The first stable release appeared in 2019, and the project is maintained by a volunteer community under a permissive open-source license. It has a modular compiler and an ecosystem of plugins.

The language provides semantic blocks for sections, figures, tables, code, and citations, plus a front matter block for metadata. It includes a templating system for consistent styling, a built-in bibliography management with a simple citation syntax, and plugins for diagrams, glossaries, and indexing. Export targets include PDF, HTML, EPUB, and DOCX; incremental builds and reproducible pipelines are supported.

Workflow and usage. Authors write in plain text with the .docino extension and run a single command-line tool to compile to the desired formats. Templates and styles can be shared across documents, enabling consistent presentation. The format is designed to be approachable for non-technical writers while remaining extensible for technical users.

Reception and community. Documentino has a dedicated, if niche, user base in academic writing and independent publishing. It benefits from active community support, regular updates, and an increasing plugin ecosystem.

See also Markdown, LaTeX, and reStructuredText.