Markdown vs reStructuredText vs AsciiDoc vs XML - Comparing Documentation Markup Languages

Explore the world of documentation markup languages in this 55-minute Open Documentation Hour video from Ubuntu OnAir. Dive into a comprehensive comparison of Markdown, reStructuredText, AsciiDoc, and XML-based formats like DITA, DocBook, and S1000D. Learn about the history, pros and cons, and use cases for each markup language. Discover the concept of docs-as-code, building documentation, and how to select the right markup for your needs. Gain insights into Canonical's documentation practices and get answers to common questions about technical writing tools and methodologies.

Syllabus

Welcome
Updates
Fight!
Markdown vs reStructuredText vs AsciiDoc vs XML
Why and when they were all created
What is docs-as-code?
Source code
Building documentation
Some pros and cons
Lightweight markup languages
Markdown
Markdown pros and cons
Restructured text
Restructured text pros and cons
AsciiDoc
AsciiDoc pros and cons
Comparison: verbosity
Comparison: general attributes
Comparison: tooling
XML
DITA
DITA summary
DocBook
DocBook summary
S1000D summary
XML-based tooling examples
XML-standards comparison
Madcap Flare
How to select a markup?
Overall comparison
Lightweight markup language selection
Documentation at Canonical
Questions