Quarkdown
github.com/iamgio/quarkdown- Category
- Developer Tools
- Rank
- No. 448Tools index
- Type
- APP
- Use case
- Productivity & Collaboration
- Interfaces
- SDK
- Builder
- iamgio
- GitHub
- 16.2k stars
- Latest release
- latest
- Date
About
A Markdown-based typesetting system that compiles a single source into papers, presentations, websites, books, and knowledge bases. Extends Markdown with functions, variables, and layout control for publication-grade output.
What it does
Quarkdown treats familiar prose as executable document source. Authors mix ordinary Markdown with reusable logic, data handling, styling, and document settings, then use its compiler to produce continuous pages, paged documents, slide decks, documentation sites, PDFs, GFM, or plain text.
Why it's ranked here
The appeal is unusually broad output coverage without abandoning readable source. Built-in scripting, reusable components, multi-file composition, live preview, and extensive layout controls make it credible for serious publishing. The HTML-centered rendering model and extra PDF tooling keep it from being a universal typesetting backend.
What's good
Its language goes well beyond decorative Markdown. It supports variables, custom functions, conditional logic, loops, math, lambdas, structured data, charts, cross-references, bibliographies, localization, and reusable layouts. A restrictive permission system limits system-resource access. The same tooling also supports interactive slides, documentation navigation, and print-oriented pages.
Tradeoffs
HTML is currently the only native rendering target, while PDF export builds on HTML post-processing. Mixed Markdown and HTML content is deliberately unsupported, and direct HTML injection is unsanitized and target-specific. CSS customization affects only HTML-derived output. PDF export requires Node.js, npm, and Puppeteer, adding operational weight.
How to use it well
Use it when one maintained source must feed papers, books, slides, documentation, or static web content, especially when repeated structures benefit from variables and reusable logic. Pair the compiler with live preview and version-controlled multi-file projects. Do not choose it for native LaTeX rendering or unrestricted mixed HTML authoring.
Technical notes+
build.gradle.kts defines a Kotlin/JVM application with com.quarkdown.cli.QuarkdownCliKt as its entry point, aggregates subprojects into the distribution, packages .qd libraries, HTML resources, and agent skills, and builds minimal JREs with jlink for Linux x64, macOS x64, macOS arm64, and Windows x64. Dockerfile builds with Gradle on JDK 17, then runs the distribution from a Puppeteer image. docs/html.qd confirms that rendering is currently HTML-only and PDF is HTML post-processing. mock/main.qd demonstrates a multi-file paged document assembled through .includeall.
Observed
- Primary language
- Kotlin on the JVM, built with Gradle
- Interface
- Command-line application with compiler, project creator, webserver, doctor, and PDF export tools
- Install surface
- Install scripts, Homebrew, Scoop, release archives, Gradle distributions, GitHub Actions integration, and a Docker image
- Platform support
- Bundled runtime targets cover Linux x64, macOS x64, macOS arm64, and Windows x64
- Output formats
- HTML document modes, HTML-derived PDF, GFM Markdown, and plain text
- License metadata
- Container metadata declares GPL-3.0-only AND AGPL-3.0-only
- Editor support
- An official Visual Studio Code extension provides live preview
Read from README.md, Dockerfile, build.gradle.kts, docs/box.qd, docs/css.qd, docs/let.qd, docs/main.qd, mock/main.qd, docs/_nav.qd, docs/clip.qd, docs/code.qd, docs/html.qd, docs/math.qd, docs/none.qd, docs/text.qd.
What it can do
Convert Markdown to HTML
Markdown text → HTML document
Generate PDF from Markdown
Markdown content → PDF file
Create presentation slides from Markdown
Markdown text with slide delimiters → Presentation slides
Process mathematical expressions
Markdown with LaTeX math notation → Rendered mathematical formulas
Generate syntax-highlighted code blocks
Markdown with code snippets → Formatted code with syntax highlighting
Tags
Tech Stack
Comments (0)
No comments yet
Editorially curated, with community endorsements as a secondary signal. Corrections welcome.