nietlatex

Nietlatex is a free, open-source document preparation system designed as an alternative to LaTeX. It aims to provide a simpler, more approachable syntax while retaining high-quality typography and output capabilities for a range of technical and academic documents.

Origin and development: Nietlatex began in the mid-2010s as a collaborative project by the Niet Community Collective. The goal was to lower the barrier to entry for writing technical material, offering a streamlined toolchain with emphasis on portability, reproducibility, and minimal dependencies.

Design and features: Nietlatex uses a declarative markup language with a compact core of commands. It compiles plain-text sources into PDF or HTML using a built-in engine and lightweight external backends. The system includes automatic numbering, bibliographies, cross-referencing, mathematical typesetting, and tables, while adopting a leaner package ecosystem than LaTeX. It aims to provide consistent results across platforms and devices.

Syntax and workflow: Source files typically use the .niet extension. Authors write with a concise set of macros, and the compiler translates the source into an intermediate representation before producing the final output. The toolchain often includes a previewer and a simple build system with incremental compilation to speed up edits.

Impact and reception: Nietlatex has a modest user base in academic and educational settings. It is praised for clarity and speed, particularly for straightforward documents, but is commonly noted to lack some of the breadth and customization options available in LaTeX through extensive packages.

Status and licensing: The project remains under ongoing development with periodic releases and community contributions. Nietlatex is distributed under an open-source license, inviting collaboration and adaptation by users and institutions.