knittable

Knittable refers to a set of JavaScript libraries and tools designed to make it easier to create interactive and publishable web content, particularly from data and computational notebooks. It aims to bridge the gap between static documents and dynamic web applications by allowing developers and data scientists to weave together code, narrative, and rich visualizations.

The core concept of Knittable is to render web pages directly from structured text files, most commonly Markdown. However, it goes beyond basic Markdown by enabling the embedding of executable code blocks from various programming languages, such as Python, R, and Julia. When a Knittable document is processed, these code blocks are executed, and their output, including text, tables, and interactive plots, is incorporated into the final HTML or other output format. This allows for reproducible research and dynamic storytelling where the content is generated from the data and analysis itself.

Knittable supports a wide range of output formats, including HTML, PDF, and Word documents, making it versatile for different publication needs. Its interactive capabilities are a key feature, allowing for the creation of dashboards, reports, and data visualizations that users can manipulate and explore. This interactivity is often achieved through integration with JavaScript libraries for charting and UI elements. The philosophy behind Knittable is to facilitate literate programming and data journalism, where the entire process of analysis and communication is transparent and reproducible.