Comparison of document markup languages
The following tables compare general and technical information for a number of document markup languages . Please see the individual markup languages' articles for further information.
Basic general information about the markup languages: creator, version, etc.
Language
First public release date
Creator
Editor
Viewer
AsciiDoc
2002
Stuart Rackham
Text editor
Output to XHTML , HTML , DocBook (which can convert to PDF , EPUB , DVI , LaTeX , roff , and PostScript )
Computable Document Format
2010
Wolfram Research
Wolfram Language & Mathematica
CDF Player ; CDF format can also be embedded in web pages viewable with conventional browsers.
Creole
2007
Text editor
Output to HTML , RTF , LaTeX , others; renderers for MFC , others.
Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA)
2005
IBM, OASIS
Text /XML editor
Output to HTML , PDF , CHM , javadoc , others.
DocBook
1992
The Davenport Group, OASIS
XML editor
Output to HTML , PDF , CHM , javadoc , others.
Encoded Archival Description (EAD)
1998
Berkeley Project
Text editor
Web browser
Extensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML)
2000 (January 26)
W3C
Text /XML editor , HTML editor
Web browser
Halibut
1999
Simon Tatham
Text editor
Output to ASCII text, HTML , PDF , PostScript , Unix man pages , GNU Info , Windows Help (.CHM files) , Windows WinHelp (old .HLP files)
HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
1993
Tim Berners-Lee
Text editor , HTML editor
Web browser
LilyPond
1996
Han-Wen Nienhuys , Jan Nieuwenhuizen
Text editor , Scorewriter
Output to DVI , PDF , PostScript , PNG , others.
Maker Interchange Format (MIF)
1986
Frame Technology acquired by Adobe Systems in 1995
Text editor , FrameMaker
FrameMaker
MakeDoc
2000
Carl Sassenrath
Text editor
Web browser (XHTML or HTML output)
Markdown
2004
John Gruber
Text editor , E-mail client
Web browser (XHTML or HTML output), preview in gedit-markdown-plugin
Math Markup Language (MathML)
1999 (July)
W3C
Text /XML editor , TeX converter
Web browser , Word processor
The Music Encoding Initiative (MEI)
1999
The MEI Community
XML editor
Verovio
Music Extensible Markup Language (MusicXML)
2002
Recordare
Scorewriter
Scorewriter
MyST Markdown
2019
ExecutableBooks team
Text editor
Output to Word processor , LaTeX , PDF , Markdown .
Office Open XML (OOXML)
2006
Ecma International , ISO /IEC
Office suite
Office suite
OpenDocument Format (ODF)
2005
OASIS , ISO /IEC
Office suite
Office suite
Open Mathematical Documents (OMDoc)
2000
Michael Kohlhase
Text /XML editor [ 1]
Output to XHTML +MathML , TeX , others.
Org-mode
2003
Org-mode project
Emacs , text editor
Emacs . Output to HTML , PDF , DocBook , FreeMind , OpenDocument Format (ODF) , others.
reStructuredText
2001[ 2]
David Goodger
Text editor
Output to HTML , LaTeX , PDF , Unix man pages , ODT , S5 (HTML Slide Shows) , XML , others.
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)
2004
W3C
Vector graphics editor
Web browser , etc.
Script GML
1968 1971
IBM
Text editor
GDDM, AFP viewer
TeX LaTeX
1978 1984
Donald Knuth Leslie Lamport
Text editor
DVI or Portable Document Format (PDF) converter
Texinfo
1986
Richard Stallman
Text editor
output to DVI , Portable Document Format (PDF) , HTML , DocBook , others.
TeXmacs format
1998
Joris van der Hoeven
Text editor/TeXmacs editor
PDF or PostScript files. Converters exist for TeX /LaTeX and XHTML +Mathml
Textile
2002[ 3]
Dean Allen
Text editor
Web browser (XHTML or HTML output), reference and tester (uses latest PHP-Textile version 3.5.5)
Text Encoding Initiative (TEI)
1990
Text Encoding Initiative Consortium
Text /XML editor
Web Browser (using XHTML ), PDF , Word Processor (using ODF ) or EPUB
troff (typesetter runoff) , groff (GNU runoff)
1973
Joe Ossanna
Text editor
groffer, or output to PostScript
Wireless Markup Language (WML)
1999
WAP Forum
Text /XML editor
Mobile browser
Language
First public release date
Creator
Editor
Viewer
Note: While Rich Text Format (RTF) is human readable, it is not considered to be a markup language and is thus excluded from the table.
Characteristics
Some characteristics of the markup languages.[definition needed ]
Language
Major purpose
Based on
Markup type
Structural markup
Presentational markup[ 4]
Open format
AsciiDoc
Multi-purpose
Tag
Yes
Yes
Yes
Computable Document Format
Interactive technical documents, infographics, blogs[ 5]
Wolfram Language
Tag
Yes
Yes
No
Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA)
Technical documents
XML
Tag
Yes
Yes[ 6]
Yes
DocBook
Technical documents
SGML / XML
Tag
Yes
Yes[ 7]
Yes
Encoded Archival Description (EAD)
Finding aids
XML
Tag
Yes
No
Extensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML)
Hypertext documents
XML
Tag
Yes
Yes[ 8]
Yes
FictionBook
Multi-purpose
XML
Tag
Yes
Yes
Yes
Halibut
Technical documents
Control code
Yes
Yes
Yes
HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
Hypertext documents
SGML
Tag
Yes
Yes[ 9]
Yes
Lilypond
Music notation
Control code
Yes
Yes
Maker Interchange Format (MIF)
Technical documents
Tag
Yes
Yes
Markdown
Formatted Technical documents, Hypertext documents, E-mail
Text E-mail conventions
Tag
Yes
Yes
Yes
Math Markup Language (MathML)
Mathematical documents
XML
Tag
Yes
Yes[ 10]
The Music Encoding Initiative (MEI)
Music notation
XML
Tag
Yes
Yes
Music Extensible Markup Language (MusicXML)
Music notation
XML
Tag
Yes
Yes
Yes
Office Open XML (OOXML)
Multi-purpose
XML / ZIP
Tag
Yes
Yes
Yes
OpenDocument Format (ODF)
Multi-purpose
XML / ZIP
Tag
Yes
Yes
Yes
Open Mathematical Document (OMDoc)
Mathematical documents
XML
Tag
Yes[ 11]
Yes[ 12]
Org-mode
Multi-purpose (notes, project management, publishing, literate programming)
Text outliner
Tag
Yes
Yes
reStructuredText
Technical and Multi-purpose documents[ 13]
Structured Text and Setext
Tag
Yes
Yes[ 14]
Yes
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)
2D Vector graphics
XML
Tag
Yes
Yes
Yes
Script GML
Multi-purpose
RUNOFF
Control code
Yes
Yes
TeX LaTeX
Academic documents Multi-purpose[ 15]
Control code
Yes
Yes
Texinfo
Technical documents
TeX , Scribe
Control code
Yes
Yes
TeXmacs format
Academic documents
tree
Tag
Yes
Yes
Textile
Hypertext documents
AsciiDoc (based on some similarities and dates of release)
Tag
Yes
Yes
Yes
Text Encoding Initiative (TEI)
Academic , linguistic , literary and technical documents
SGML / XML
Tag
Yes
No
troff (typesetter runoff) , groff (GNU runoff)
Technical documents
RUNOFF
Control code
Yes
Yes
Wireless Markup Language (WML)
Hypertext documents
XML
Tag
Yes
Yes
Language
Major purpose
Based on
Markup type
Structural markup
Presentational markup
Open format
Notes
^ An Emacs mode and a Mozilla extension are available.
^ "An Introduction to reStructuredText" . docutils.sourceforge.net . 2 April 2022.
^ "Textism › Tools › Textile" . 26 December 2002. Archived from the original on 26 December 2002.
^ Many markup languages have purposely avoided presentational markups. For markup languages based on SGML and XML , CSS is used as a presentation layer.
^ Uses and Examples of the Computable Document Format (CDF) , Wolfram.com.
^ Includes basic presentational content and SVG and MathML markup, officially supported in version 1.3 . In select XML editors and management systems, the images and content can be viewed as rendered, through CSS mostly.
^ Presentational content is supported through SVG and MathML markup. In select XML editors, the images can be viewed as rendered.
^ Presentational markup is deprecated as of XHTML 1.0 and no longer allowed as of XHTML 1.1
^ Presentational markup is deprecated as of HTML 4.0
^ MathML comes in two mark-up syntaxes: a semantic and a presentational.
^ uses Content MathML , OpenMath or other formats for formulae
^ Exact presentation of symbols can be specified in OMDoc ; these specifications are used when transforming OMDoc to a presentational format.
^ "An Introduction to reStructuredText" . docutils.sourceforge.net . 2 April 2022.
^ uses CSS
^ While Donald Knuth wrote TeX for Academic publications and Leslie Lamport wrote LaTeX for similar purpose, packages are available from Comprehensive TeX Archive Network (CTAN) for nonacademic purposes, e.g., writing scripts.
See also