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.
General information
Basic general information about the markup languages: creator, version, etc.
Language
Creator
First public release date
Editor
Viewer
AsciiDoc
Stuart Rackham
2002
Text editor
Output to XHTML , HTML , DocBook (which can convert to PDF , EPUB , DVI , LaTeX , roff , and Postscript )
Computable Document Format
Wolfram Research
2010
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)
IBM, OASIS
2005
Text /XML editor
Output to HTML , PDF , CHM , javadoc , others.
DocBook
The Davenport Group , OASIS
1992
XML editor
Output to HTML , PDF , CHM , javadoc , others.
Encoded Archival Description (EAD)
Berkeley Project
1998
Text editor
Web browser
Extensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML)
W3C
2000 (January 26)
Text /XML editor , HTML editor
Web browser
HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
Tim Berners-Lee
1993
Text editor , HTML editor
Web browser
LilyPond
Han-Wen Nienhuys , Jan Nieuwenhuizen
1996
Text editor , Scorewriter
Output to DVI , PDF , PostScript , PNG , others.
Maker Interchange Format (MIF)
Frame Technology acquired by Adobe Systems in 1995
1986
Text editor , FrameMaker
FrameMaker
MakeDoc
Carl Sassenrath
2000
Text editor
Web browser (XHTML or HTML output)
Markdown
John Gruber and Aaron Swartz
2004
Text editor , E-mail client
Web browser (XHTML or HTML output), preview in gedit-markdown-plugin
Textile
Dean Allen
2002[1]
Text editor
Web browser (XHTML or HTML output), reference and tester (uses latest PHP-Textile version 3.5.5)
Math Markup Language (MathML)
W3C
1999 (July)
Text /XML editor , TeX converter
Web browser , Word processor
The Music Encoding Initiative (MEI)
The MEI Community
1999
XML editor
Verovio
Music Extensible Markup Language (MusicXML)
Recordare
2002
Scorewriter
Scorewriter
Office Open XML (OOXML)
Ecma International , ISO /IEC
2006
Office suite
Office suite
OpenDocument Format (ODF)
OASIS , ISO /IEC
2005
Office suite
Office suite
Open Mathematical Documents (OMDoc)
Michael Kohlhase
2000
Text /XML editor [2]
Output to XHTML +MathML , TeX , others.
Org-mode
Org-mode project
2003
Emacs , text editor
Emacs . Output to HTML , PDF , DocBook , FreeMind , OpenDocument Format (ODF) , others.
reStructuredText
David_Goodger
2001[3]
Text editor
Output to HTML , LaTeX , PDF , Unix man pages , ODT , S5 (HTML Slide Shows) , XML , others.
Rich Text Format (RTF)
Microsoft
1987
Text editor , Word processor
Word processor
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)
W3C
2004
Vector graphics editor
Web browser , etc.
Script
IBM
1968
Text editor
GDDM, AFP viewer
TeX
Donald Knuth
1978
Text editor
DVI or Portable Document Format (PDF) converter
Texinfo
Richard Stallman
1986
Text editor
output to DVI , Portable Document Format (PDF) , HTML , DocBook , others.
Text Encoding Initiative (TEI)
Text Encoding Initiative Consortium
1990
Text /XML editor
Web Browser (using XHTML ), PDF , Word Processor (using ODF ) or EPUB
troff (typesetter runoff) , groff (GNU runoff)
Joe Ossanna
1973
Text editor
groffer, or output to PostScript
Wireless Markup Language (WML)
WAP Forum
1999
Text /XML editor
Microbrowser
Language
Creator
First public release date
Editor
Viewer
Characteristics
Some characteristics of the markup languages.
Language
Major purpose
Based on
Markup type
Structural markup
Presentational markup[4]
AsciiDoc
Multi-purpose
Tag
Yes
Yes
Computable Document Format
Interactive technical documents, infographics, blogs[5]
Wolfram Language
Tag
Yes
Yes
Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA)
Technical documents
XML
Tag
Yes
Yes[6]
DocBook
Technical documents
SGML / XML
Tag
Yes
Yes[7]
Encoded Archival Description (EAD)
Finding aids
XML
Tag
Yes
No
Extensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML)
Hypertext documents
XML
Tag
Yes
Yes[8]
HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
Hypertext documents
SGML
Tag
Yes
Yes[9]
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
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
Office Open XML (OOXML)
Multi-purpose
XML / ZIP
Tag
Yes
Yes
OpenDocument Format (ODF)
Multi-purpose
XML / ZIP
Tag
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]
Rich Text Format (RTF)
Formatted documents
TeX
Pattern parsing
Yes
Yes
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)
2D Vector graphics
XML
Tag
Yes
Yes
Script
Multi-purpose
RUNOFF
Control code
Yes
Yes
TeX
Academic documents
Control code
Yes
Yes
Texinfo
Technical documents
TeX , Scribe
Control code
Yes
Yes
Textile
Hypertext documents
AsciiDoc (based on some similarities and dates of release)
Tag
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
Notes
See also
External links
Formats
Reading
Editing
Sources
Related
topics