List of document markup languages

The following is a list of document markup languages. You may also find the List of markup languages of interest.

## Well-known document markup languages

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* HyperText Markup Language (HTML) – an ad hoc markup language that was originally created for the World Wide Web, took inspiration from the metalanguage SGML, and inspired many other markup languages
* Keyhole Markup Language (KML/KMZ) – an XML-based markup language used to exchange geographic information, originally, for use with Google Earth and, now also, other map programs[1]
* Markdown – a simple, plain text markup language with multiple implementations, popular on blogs and content management systems[2]
* Mathematical Markup Language (MathML) – a part of the HTML5 standard, an XML-based markup language used to describe mathematical notations as well as capturing their structure and content, intended to integrate mathematical formulae in the World Wide Web and other documents
* Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) – an XML-based vector image format for defining two-dimensional graphics that has support for animations and interactive content
* TeX, LaTeX – a format for describing complex types and page layouts that is often used for mathematical, technical, and academic publications
* Wiki markup – one of a number of often lightweight markup languages used on wikis such as Wikipedia or WikiWikiWeb
* Extensible 3D (X3D) – a set of graphics file formats for declaratively representing 3D computer graphics that has support for interactive, network-capable content
* Extensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML) – a markup language that mirrors HTML, written in the XML syntax
* XHTML Basic – a subset of XHTML for simple (typically mobile, handheld) devices, meant to replace the Wireless Markup Language (WML) and Compact HTML (C-HTML) markup languages, as well as XHTML's own Mobile Profile (XHTML MP)

### Metalanguages

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* Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) – a metalanguage used to describe markup languages, of which XML and DocBook, as well as versions of HTML prior to HTML5 adhere to
* Extensible Markup Language (XML) – now the base of hundreds[3] of other markup languages and document formats, an application and more restrictive subset of SGML that was designed to be easier to implement than a full SGML parser

## Lesser-known document markup languages

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(including some lightweight markup languages)

* ABC notation – markup language for music scores in pure text[4]
* Amigaguide – the Amiga hypertext documentation format, including multimedia support
* AsciiDoc – plaintext markup language similar to Markdown
* Chemical Markup Language (CML)
* Compact HyperText Markup Language (C-HTML) – used for some mobile phones
* Computable Document Format – used for interactive technical documents
* ConTeXt – a modular, structured formatting language based on TeX
* Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) – modular open free format for technical and specialized documents
* DocBook – format for technical (but not only) manuals and documentation
* Encoded Archival Description (EAD)
* Enriched text – for formatting e-mail text
* GML
* Generalized Markup Language (GML) – the Document Composition Facility (DCF) product provides GMLSS, a starter set of GML tags implemented as a set of SCRIPT/VS macros.
* Geography Markup Language (GML)[5][6]
* Gesture Markup Language (GML)[7]
* Graffiti Markup Language (GML)[8]
* GNU TeXmacs format – used by the GNU TeXmacs document preparation system[9]
* Guide Markup Language (GuideML) – used by the Hitchhiker's Guide site[10]
* Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML) – designed for smartphones and handheld computers
* Help Markup Language (HelpML)
* Hypermedia/Time-based Structuring Language (HyTime)
* HyperTeX – for including hyperlinks in TeX (and LaTeX) documents
* Information Presentation Facility (IPF) – a system for presenting online help and hypertext on IBM OS/2 systems, and the default help file format used by the cross-platform fpGUI Toolkit project
* Journal Article Tag Suite (JATS) – a NISO standard of XML used to describe and publish STEM scholarly journal articles
* LilyPond – a system for music notation
* LinuxDoc – used by the Linux Documentation Project
* Lout – a document formatting functional programming language, similar in style to LaTeX
* Maker Interchange Format (MIF)
* Microsoft Assistance Markup Language (MAML)
* Music Encoding Initiative (MEI)
* Music Extensible Markup Language (MusicXML)
* Open Mathematical Documents (OMDoc)
* OpenMath – a markup language for mathematical formulae which can complement MathML
* Parameter Value Language – stores mission data in NASA's Planetary Database System
* Plain Old Documentation (POD) – a simple, platform-independent documentation tool for Perl[11]
* Pillar – a markup syntax and associated tools to write and generate documentation written in Pharo[12]
* PUB – an early markup language with scripting support[13]
* Remote Telescope Markup Language (RTML)
* reStructuredText (reSt) – plaintext platform-independent markup used as Python libraries documentation tool, multiple output formats (HTML, LaTeX, ODT, EPUB, ...)[14]
* Retail Template Markup Language (RTML) – e-commerce language which is based on Lisp
* Revisable-Form Text (RFT) – part of IBM's Document Content Architecture to allow transfer of formatted documents to other systems
* S1000D – international specification for technical documentation related to commercial or military; aerospace, sea or land; vehicles or equipment
* Scribble – Markup language based on Racket[15][16]
* Scribe – Brian Reid's seminal markup language
* Script – early IBM markup language on which GML is built
* Semantic, Extensible, Computational, Styled, Tagged markup language (SECST) – a more expressive and semantic alternative to Markdown that also transpiles to HTML[17]
* Structured Information, Serialized Units (SiSU) – generalized markup language with several output formats[18]
* SKiCal – a machine-readable format for the interchange of enhanced yellow-page directory listings
* Skriv – lightweight markup language
* Texinfo – GNU documentation format
* Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) – guidelines for text encoding in the humanities, social sciences and linguistics
* Textile – plaintext XHTML web text
* Time Management Markup Language[19] (TMML) – for Time Management and rarely used for mobile alarm in 2008
* Typesetter roff (troff), GNU troff (groff)
* Universal Document Output (UDO) – a lightweight markup language
* Wireless Markup Language (WML), Wireless TV Markup Language (WTVML)
* Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) – an XML based user interface markup language
* Xupl – a C-style equivalent to XML

## Office document markup languages

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* Compound Document Format
* Microsoft Office 2003 XML formats – Microsoft's predecessor to the Office Open XML formats
* Office Open XML (OOXML) – mainly developed by Microsoft, a standardized, open format for office documents that describes of a number of XML schemas, including the following:
* SpreadsheetML – a schema for representing spreadsheets and charts
* PresentationML – a schema for representing presentations
* WordprocessingML – a schema for representing word processing documents
* DrawingML – a supporting schema for representing charts, shapes, pictures, tables, diagrams, and document themes[20]: 19
* OpenDocument (ODF) – a standardized, open format for office documents originally conceived by a Technical Committee (TC) under the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) industry consortium
* OpenOffice.org XML – a standardized, open format for office documents and the predecessor of the OpenDocument format
* ReportML – report format language originating from Microsoft Access that, as of the 2016 edition, is not yet a part of Office Open XML standard
* Rich Text Format (RTF) – though not a markup language per se, since it was never meant for intuitive and easy typing, a Microsoft format for exchanging documents with other vendors' applications[21][22]
* Uniform Office Format (UOF) – an open format for office documents that is being harmonised with OpenDocument[as of?]

## See also

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* Comparison of document markup languages
* Comparison of Office Open XML and OpenDocument
* Lightweight markup language
* Page description language

## References

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1. ^ Google Developers: Keyhole Markup Language KML Reference. Accessed on 2013/03/15.
2. ^ "Daring Fireball: Markdown". Archived from the original on 2004-04-02. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
3. ^ Cover, Robin (ed.). "XML Applications and Initiatives". XML Cover Pages. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
4. ^ "Abc:standard [abc wiki]".
5. ^ Open Geospatial Consortium, "Geography Markup Language", OGC accessed on 2013/03/15.
6. ^ Geography Markup Language is an ISO standard (ISO 19136:2007).
7. ^ Gesture Markup Language GestureML Wiki Archived 2013-03-10 at the Wayback Machine. Extensible markup language used to define gestures that describe interactive object behavior and the relationships between objects in an application. Accessed on 2013/03/15.
8. ^ Graffiti Markup Language Graffiti Markup Language. Designed to maximize readability and ease of implementation for even hobbyist programmers, artists and graffiti writers. Accessed on 2013/03/15.
9. ^ "The TeXmacs format".
10. ^ h2g2
11. ^ "Perlpod - the Plain Old Documentation format - Perldoc Browser".
12. ^ "Documenting and Presenting with Pillar". Archived from the original on 26 April 2016.
13. ^ PUB Manual
14. ^ "ReStructuredText". 24 May 2016.
15. ^ Flatt, M.; Barzilay, E.; Findler, R. B. (2009). "Scribble: Closing the Book on Ad Hoc Documentation Tools". International Conference on Functional Programming.
16. ^ "Scribble: The Racket Documentation Tool".
17. ^ SECST Markup Language SECST Markup Language
18. ^ "≅ SiSU project sisudoc.org".
19. ^ "TMML tutorial". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
20. ^ ECMA-376-1:2016: Office Open XML File Formats — Fundamentals and Markup Language Reference (5th ed.). Ecma-international.org. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
21. ^ RTF Pocket Guide by O'Reilly Media, retrieved 2010-03-13
22. ^ Sean M. Burke (July 2003). "RTF Pocket Guide". Amazon UK. Retrieved 2010-03-13.

* v
* t
* e

Document markup languages

Office suite|

* Compound Document Format
* OOXML
* SpreadsheetML
* PresentationML
* WordprocessingML
* ODF
* UOF

Well-known|

* HTML
* XHTML
* MathML
* RTF
* TeX
* LaTeX
* Markdown

Lesser-known|

* AmigaGuide
* AsciiDoc
* BBCode
* CML
* C-HTML
* ConTeXt
* CrossMark
* DITA
* DocBook
* EAD
* Enriched text
* FHTML
* GML
* GuideML
* HDML
* HyTime
* IPF
* LilyPond
* LinuxDoc
* Lout
* MIF
* MAML
* MEI
* MusicXML
* OMDoc
* OpenMath
* Org-mode
* POD
* ReStructuredText
* RTML
* RFT
* S1000D
* Setext
* TEI
* Texinfo
* troff
* Wikitext
* WML
* WapTV
* XAML

List of document markup languages
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