The following is a list of document markup languages. You may also find the List of markup languages of interest.

Well-known document markup languages

  • HyperText Markup Language (HTML) – an ad hoc markup language that was originally created for the World Wide Web, took inspiration from the metalanguage SGML, and inspired many other markup languages
  • Keyhole Markup Language (KML/KMZ) – an XML-based markup language used to exchange geographic information, originally, for use with Google Earth and, now also, other map programs
  • Markdown – a simple, plain text markup language with multiple implementations, popular on blogs and content management systems
  • Mathematical Markup Language (MathML) – a part of the HTML5 standard, an XML-based markup language used to describe mathematical notations as well as capturing their structure and content, intended to integrate mathematical formulae in the World Wide Web and other documents
  • Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) – an XML-based vector image format for defining two-dimensional graphics that has support for animations and interactive content
  • TeX, LaTeX – a format for describing complex types and page layouts that is often used for mathematical, technical, and academic publications
  • Wiki markup – one of a number of often lightweight markup languages used on wikis such as Wikipedia or WikiWikiWeb
  • Extensible 3D (X3D) – a set of graphics file formats for declaratively representing 3D computer graphics that has support for interactive, network-capable content
  • Extensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML) – a markup language that mirrors HTML, written in the XML syntax
  • XHTML Basic – a subset of XHTML for simple (typically mobile, handheld) devices, meant to replace the Wireless Markup Language (WML) and Compact HTML (C-HTML) markup languages, as well as XHTML's own Mobile Profile (XHTML MP)

Metalanguages

  • Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) – a metalanguage used to describe markup languages, of which XML and DocBook, as well as versions of HTML prior to HTML5 adhere to
  • Extensible Markup Language (XML) – now the base of hundreds of other markup languages and document formats, an application and more restrictive subset of SGML that was designed to be easier to implement than a full SGML parser

Lesser-known document markup languages

(including some lightweight markup languages)

  • ABC notation – markup language for music scores in pure text
  • Amigaguide – the Amiga hypertext documentation format, including multimedia support
  • AsciiDoc – plaintext markup language similar to Markdown
  • Chemical Markup Language (CML)
  • Compact HyperText Markup Language (C-HTML) – used for some mobile phones
  • Computable Document Format – used for interactive technical documents
  • ConTeXt – a modular, structured formatting language based on TeX
  • Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) – modular open free format for technical and specialized documents
  • DocBook – format for technical (but not only) manuals and documentation
  • Encoded Archival Description (EAD)
  • Enriched text – for formatting e-mail text
  • GML
  • Generalized Markup Language (GML) – the Document Composition Facility (DCF) product provides GMLSS, a starter set of GML tags implemented as a set of SCRIPT/VS macros.
  • Geography Markup Language (GML)
  • Gesture Markup Language (GML)
  • Graffiti Markup Language (GML)
  • GNU TeXmacs format – used by the GNU TeXmacs document preparation system
  • Guide Markup Language (GuideML) – used by the Hitchhiker's Guide site
  • Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML) – designed for smartphones and handheld computers
  • Help Markup Language (HelpML)
  • Hypermedia/Time-based Structuring Language (HyTime)
  • HyperTeX – for including hyperlinks in TeX (and LaTeX) documents
  • Information Presentation Facility (IPF) – a system for presenting online help and hypertext on IBM OS/2 systems, and the default help file format used by the cross-platform fpGUI Toolkit project
  • Journal Article Tag Suite (JATS) – a NISO standard of XML used to describe and publish STEM scholarly journal articles
  • LilyPond – a system for music notation
  • LinuxDoc – used by the Linux Documentation Project
  • Lout – a document formatting functional programming language, similar in style to LaTeX
  • Maker Interchange Format (MIF)
  • Microsoft Assistance Markup Language (MAML)
  • Music Encoding Initiative (MEI)
  • Music Extensible Markup Language (MusicXML)
  • Open Mathematical Documents (OMDoc)
  • OpenMath – a markup language for mathematical formulae which can complement MathML
  • Parameter Value Language – stores mission data in NASA's Planetary Database System
  • Plain Old Documentation (POD) – a simple, platform-independent documentation tool for Perl
  • Pillar – a markup syntax and associated tools to write and generate documentation written in Pharo
  • PUB – an early markup language with scripting support
  • Remote Telescope Markup Language (RTML)
  • reStructuredText (reSt) – plaintext platform-independent markup used as Python libraries documentation tool, multiple output formats (HTML, LaTeX, ODT, EPUB, ...)
  • Retail Template Markup Language (RTML) – e-commerce language which is based on Lisp
  • Revisable-Form Text (RFT) – part of IBM's Document Content Architecture to allow transfer of formatted documents to other systems
  • S1000D – international specification for technical documentation related to commercial or military; aerospace, sea or land; vehicles or equipment
  • Scribble – Markup language based on Racket
  • Scribe – Brian Reid's seminal markup language
  • Script – early IBM markup language on which GML is built
  • Semantic, Extensible, Computational, Styled, Tagged markup language (SECST) – a more expressive and semantic alternative to Markdown that also transpiles to HTML
  • Structured Information, Serialized Units (SiSU) – generalized markup language with several output formats
  • SKiCal – a machine-readable format for the interchange of enhanced yellow-page directory listings
  • Skriv – lightweight markup language
  • Texinfo – GNU documentation format
  • Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) – guidelines for text encoding in the humanities, social sciences and linguistics
  • Textile – plaintext XHTML web text
  • Time Management Markup Language (TMML) – for Time Management and rarely used for mobile alarm in 2008
  • Typesetter roff (troff), GNU troff (groff)
  • Typst – a document typesetting language for scientific texts
  • Universal Document Output (UDO) – a lightweight markup language
  • Wireless Markup Language (WML), Wireless TV Markup Language (WTVML)
  • Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) – an XML based user interface markup language
  • Xupl – a C-style equivalent to XML

Office document markup languages

  • Compound Document Format
  • Microsoft Office 2003 XML formats – Microsoft's predecessor to the Office Open XML formats
  • Office Open XML (OOXML) – mainly developed by Microsoft, a standardized, open format for office documents that describes of a number of XML schemas, including the following:
  • SpreadsheetML – a schema for representing spreadsheets and charts
  • PresentationML – a schema for representing presentations
  • WordprocessingML – a schema for representing word processing documents
  • DrawingML – a supporting schema for representing charts, shapes, pictures, tables, diagrams, and document themes
  • OpenDocument (ODF) – a standardized, open format for office documents originally conceived by a Technical Committee (TC) under the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) industry consortium
  • OpenOffice.org XML – a standardized, open format for office documents and the predecessor of the OpenDocument format
  • ReportML – report format language originating from Microsoft Access that, as of the 2016 edition, is not yet a part of Office Open XML standard
  • Rich Text Format (RTF) – though not a markup language per se, since it was never meant for intuitive and easy typing, a Microsoft format for exchanging documents with other vendors' applications
  • Uniform Office Format (UOF) – an open format for office documents that is being harmonised with OpenDocument

See also

  • Comparison of document markup languages
  • Comparison of Office Open XML and OpenDocument
  • Lightweight markup language
  • Page description language

References