DocBook

DocBook is a schema (or document type definition) primarily used for technical documentation. It is a semantic markup language, meaning it focuses on describing the meaning and structure of content rather than its visual presentation. DocBook uses XML (Extensible Markup Language) to define its vocabulary and grammar.

DocBook's purpose is to provide a platform-neutral, vendor-neutral format for authoring and managing documentation. This allows the same source document to be transformed into various output formats, such as HTML, PDF, EPUB, man pages, and more, through the use of stylesheets like XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations). This single-source publishing capability is a key benefit of using DocBook.

DocBook is widely used in open source projects, commercial software development, and other industries where high-quality, well-structured documentation is required. Its open and extensible nature makes it suitable for a wide range of documentation types, including books, articles, tutorials, API documentation, and system documentation.

The DocBook schema defines a comprehensive set of elements that can be used to describe various document components, such as chapters, sections, titles, paragraphs, lists, tables, code snippets, and cross-references. It also includes elements for metadata, such as author information, revision history, and keywords.

DocBook's structure encourages good writing practices by forcing authors to think about the underlying meaning and relationships within their content. This leads to more consistent and maintainable documentation.

Although DocBook is based on XML, other serialization formats like JSON can be used through alternative schema implementations.

While originally designed for technical documentation, DocBook can be adapted for other types of content where a structured, semantic approach is beneficial.

The DocBook community provides resources such as documentation, stylesheets, and tools to support authors and publishers using the format. Numerous editors and publishing toolchains offer built-in support for DocBook.