I'm excited to introduce a new markup language called [Podlite](https://podlite.org/specification). It's designed to make  documentation, blogging, educational materials, and much more, a breeze to create and manage.


Introducing Podlite, a lightweight block-based markup language


TITLE

DESCRIPTION

root

markdown

=begin markdown

 Hey everyone! 🚀

I'm excited to introduce a new markup language called [Podlite](https://podlite.org/specification). It's designed to make documentation, blogging, educational materials, and much more, a breeze to create and manage.

**Key features of Podlite include:**

* **Blocks as the basic unit:** Each document is built from blocks, which are the basic units that can have their own defined attributes.
* **Flexible linking:** Link blocks together in various relationships.
* **Formula support:** Perfect for academic and scientific documentation.
* **Markdown support:** Love Markdown? Podlite does too. It includes a standard block for Markdown, so you can switch modes seamlessly.
* **Rich content support:** Tables, images, table of contents, and all sorts of lists are all supported.
* **Extensibility:** Extend Podlite with your own custom blocks and inline codes to fit your needs

Podlite doesn't adhere to any specific programming language. This allows it **to be embedded** in any programming language that supports block-level comments, or multi-line comments.

**For example, in JavaScript:**

 /*
 =head1 Documentation
 
 This is a general overview:
 
 =begin Mermaid
 graph LR
 A-->B
 B-->C
 C-->A
 D-->C
 =end Mermaid
 =begin markdown
 
 # header
 
 * text
 * text
 
 =end markdown
 */

[open this sample at pod6.in](https://pod6.in/#p=%3Dhead1+Documentation%0A%0AThis+is+a+general+overview%3A%0A%0A%3Dbegin+Mermaid%0Agraph+LR%0A++++++++A--%3EB%0A++++++++B--%3EC%0A++++++++C--%3EA%0A++++++++D--%3EC%0A%3Dend+Mermaid%0A%3Dbegin+markdown%0A%0A%23+header%0A%0A+*+text%0A+*+text%0A%0A%3Dend+markdown)

Blocks can be represented in three equivalent forms: **delimited** style, **paragraph** style, and **abbreviated** style.

 =begin table :caption<Summary>
 Constants 1
 Variables 10
 =end table
 
 =for table :caption<Summary>
 Constants 1
 Variables 10
 
 =table
 Constants 1
 Variables 10

[open this sample at pod6.in](https://pod6.in/#p=%0A%3Dbegin+table++%3Acaption%3CSummary%3E%0A++Constants+++++++++++1%0A++Variables+++++++++++10%0A%3Dend+table%0A%0A%3Dfor+table+%3Acaption%3CSummary%3E%0A++Constants+++++++++++1%0A++Variables+++++++++++10%0A%0A%3Dtable%0A++Constants+++++++++++1%0A++Variables+++++++++++10%0A)

Podlite is perfect for creating documentation, blogs, educational materials, and much more.

**Current status of Podlite:**

* currently in **beta**, with ongoing work for the next version.
* there's a [reference implementation](https://github.com/podlite/podlite) driving [web publishing package](https://github.com/podlite/podlite-web) and [a web editor](https://pod6.in) .
* and yes, there's an editor/viewer for desktop too: https://github.com/podlite/podlite-desktop.

This is an early announcement to gauge interest in this markup language.

**Find out more:**

* Specification : [https://github.com/podlite/podlite-specs](https://github.com/podlite/podlite-specs), [\[in html format\]](https://podlite.org/specification)
* github: [https://github.com/podlite](https://github.com/podlite) ⭐️
* website: [https://podlite.org](https://podlite.org)
* web playground: [https://pod6.in](https://pod6.in)

[The Podlite specification](https://github.com/podlite/podlite-specs/blob/main/Specification.pod6) is published under the Artistic license 2.0.

I'd be incredibly grateful for any feedback and ideas.

Thank you so much for your time!

Best regards, 
Alex

=end markdown

Podlite, a lightweight block-oriented markup language that's all about flexibility and ease of use. 


Podlite has introduced a range of new features designed to enhance the flexibility and usability of the markup language.


This release of Podlite introduces significant enhancements aimed at improving the flexibility, customization, and user interaction of the markup language. With the addition of new blocks, attributes, and support for rich media, Podlite is better equipped to handle a variety of documentation needs. Concurrently, the deprecation and removal of certain features have simplified the toolset, reducing overlap and enhancing user experience. These changes reflect a commitment to the continuous improvement of Podlite, ensuring it remains a versatile and powerful tool for content creators.


picture

=begin markdown
# What is Podlite?

[Podlite](https://podlite.org), a lightweight block-oriented markup language that's all about flexibility and ease of use.

* Unbound by any specific domain, programming language, or concept, Podlite stands out as a universal markup language
* In addition, the support for Markdown markup as a standard block adds convenience and allows for the use of familiar syntax for text formatting
* It's perfect for documentation, educational materials, blogging, and much more for organizing knowledge.
* One of the key features of Podlite is its extensibility. This allows for defining unique and domain-specific blocks and expanding the language's functionality according to the requirements of your project.
* [The Podlite specification](https://github.com/podlite/podlite-specs) is published under the Artistic license 2.0.

# Key Features of Podlite

* **Block-based structure:** At the core of Podlite is the concept of "blocks," which are the fundamental units of any document. These blocks can have defined attributes and support the inclusion of rich content.
* **Rich linking capabilities:** Podlite allows blocks, terms, definitions to be linked with various types of relationships, enhancing the interconnectivity and navigability of your documents.
* **Support for formulas and Markdown:** Whether you need to insert complex mathematical formulas or prefer the simplicity of Markdown, Podlite has you covered. It seamlessly integrates both, giving you the flexibility to choose how you want to write.
* **Extensible and customizable:** Extend Podlite with custom blocks and inline codes, tailoring the language to meet your specific needs.

# Podlite v1.0 Release Notes

[Podlite v1.0 Release Notes](https://podlite.org/2024/4/23/1/podlite-specification-v1-0-released)

thank you

=end markdown


Podlite specification v1.0 released! 


L<Podlite|https://podlite.org/> was born as a lightweight implementation of Raku Pod (also known as pod6), and over time, it has evolved into one of the most comprehensive implementations.

Podlite: Modernizing and Extending abandoned Raku Pod (ака pod6)


L<Podlite|https://podlite.org/> was born as a lightweight implementation of Raku Pod (also known as pod6), and over time, it has evolved into one of the most comprehensive implementations. It encompasses:

item

What's more, Podlite also supports Diagrams, auto-generated Table of Contents, and has built-in Markdown support.


I've been keeping daily journals in Raku Pod format for years and using Podlite to write blog articles. 


At this point, I've accumulated a bunch of ideas that go beyond the standard Raku Pod (aka pod6) L<specification|https://github.com/perl6/specs/blob/master/S26-documentation.pod>, along with some ideas I've been wanting to implement for a while. I've brought them all together, and I'd like to share the key ones in detail.

head

Podlite selectors are, in essence, quite similar to CSS selectors. They help identify and filter specific blocks within documents. Each selector pattern can contain optional block sources and block names.


code

=begin code :allow< R >
<EXTERNAL_SOURCE>
or
[ <EXTERNAL_SOURCE> | ] <BLOCKS_SELECTOR>
=end code

Selectors can be used not only to describe blocks within the current document but also in external documents:


table_head

    _______________________________________         ___________________________________________________


table_row

table

=begin table :nested

    Selector                                        Description
    _______________________________________         ___________________________________________________
    head1, head2, item1                             All head1, head2 and item1 blocks from document

    file:article.rakudoc | head1, head2                All head1 and head2 blocks from article.rakudoc file

    file:./includes/*.pod6 | head1, head2           All head1 and head2 blocks from pod6 files placed 
                                                    in includes directory

    doc:Data::Dumper | code                         All code blocks from a module documentation

    file:/docs/**/*.md | head1                      Search for first-level headers in all ".md" files within the "docs" directory and its subdirectories.
=end table


Selectors are an essential part that will be used in other sections.


=begin code :allow 

 Z<>=toc <SELECTOR>

=end code

The C<=toc> block is used to create an autogenerated table of contents (TOC) in a document. The TOC serves as an index of section titles within the document, and its structure is determined by the organization of the document.

=begin code
 =toc head1, head2, head3, item1, item2, table
=end code


In this block, a selector is used to describe the blocks used to build the TOC.


You can create lists of tables or even images:


=begin code :allow 

=for toc :title('List of tables')
table

=for toc :title('List of media')
Image, Diagram

=end code

=begin code :allow 

	=include <SELECTOR>

=end code

The C<=include> block is a powerful tool for reusing specific parts of documents within project sources. This is particularly handy
when dealing with complex documents that require to include certain 
sections from different files while keeping the overall context and 
structure intact.

This block is perfect for creating books. Combined with I<Selectors>, it allows you to include arbitrary blocks from other documents and files.

Z<>=picture, C< P<> > - Inserting pictures

To insert pictures, you can use the C<=picture> block:

=begin code :allow 

B<=picture> site-menu.png
This is the menu rendered by the React component

=end code

Image

=begin code :allow 
 =para In the vast expanse of the cosmos, an intrepid B<P<astronaut|astronaut.png>>
 floats weightlessly above the Earth.

=end code

To include emoji codes, you can use the C<E<>> code along 
with the colon-prefixed and postfix emoji shortname:

=begin code :allow 

 Podlite uses emoji codes to express emotions and actions,
 such as B<E<:thumbsup:>> for approval and B<E<:smile:>> for happiness.

=end code