From Markup to Markdown: The Evolution of Technical Writing, Typesetting Tools and Frameworks

From Markup to Markdown is a history of how writers have used computers to write, and a look ahead to see what the future looks like for technical writing. This book explores both “technology history” and “how it works” about how we write with computers, with code examples so readers can explore and fully understand how each writing tool and framework works behind the scenes.

Starting with an overview of the major milestones of writing with digital technologies since the 1960s, you will learn about RUNOFF and how this inspired roff on Unix (and the more familiar versions, nroff and troff). You will also explore word processing milestones like WordStar, and printing technologies like the phototypesetter and the dot matrix printer, before moving onto modern markup and writing systems like HTML, Markdown and DITA and how they play a role in how we write today.

From Markup to Markdown is ideal for writers, technical communication professionals, history of computing researchers as well as “retro-computing” enthusiasts.

You Will:

• Explore the history of technical writing in the age of the personal computer, from the 1960s to the present day
• Understand how the technologies and tools have evolved over time
• Learn how each tool works with simple and clear code samples and exercises, giving you an under-the-hood understanding of how each system works, from RUNOFF markup to modern Markdown

Jim Hall has spent the last 30 years at at the intersection of open source, technology, and technical writing, contributing to open source since the 1990s including the FreeDOS Project and GNOME. Since 2010, Jim has been a regular contributor to Linux Journal, Opensource.com, Both.org, Technically We Write, and All Things Open and enjoys writing articles about how things work, including programming, Linux, command line, and open source and web development tools and applications.