Quarkdown – Markdown with Superpowers
Quarkdown, a programmable extension of Markdown with LaTeX-style “functions,” is presented as a way to get richer, more controllable document layout while staying in a familiar text-based format. Commenters compare it to alternatives like Typst, MyST, Quarto, AsciiDoc, and Pandoc, weighing its potential as a simpler typesetting and documentation tool against concerns that it erodes Markdown’s core virtue of simplicity and readability. Others highlight practical issues such as accessibility, output quality (especially for large or paged documents), installation practices, and whether adding scripting risks re‑creating the complexity of LaTeX, roff, or full HTML/CSS.
Positioning vs. Other Markup / Typesetting Tools
- Many compare Quarkdown to MyST, Pandoc, Quarto, Typst, AsciiDoc, Org, djot, MDX, roff, and TeXmacs.
- It’s seen as “Markdown + LaTeX-style functions,” or “Markdown + CSS,” with compile-time logic.
- Several argue Typst and Quarkdown are in the “LaTeX successor / typesetting” space rather than just Markdown variants.
- Others feel Typst and Pandoc-based systems (with filters) still outperform in power, flexibility, or ecosystem.
- Some argue AsciiDoc or Org mode already solve the “richer markup” problem and question the need for yet another format.
Simplicity of Markdown vs. Added Power
- Strong split: some like extending Markdown with functions, layout primitives, and scripting; others say this breaks Markdown’s core virtue of simplicity and readability.
- Concerns that piling on syntax leads to “Markdown → Word/HTML/LaTeX spiral” and defeats “write in plain text, know what you’ll get.”
- Supporters argue Quarkdown keeps a flat learning curve for basic Markdown, with optional advanced features for layout and reuse.
- Critics call out the risk of Turing-complete behavior, need for permission systems, and creeping complexity.
Syntax, Spec, and Design Choices
- Praise for clean syntax and user-defined functions; criticism for blending structure and styling.
- Debate about bold/italic markers; some wish for breaking with CommonMark, but Quarkdown explicitly stays CommonMark-compliant.
- Discussion that Markdown itself is more an “idea” than a spec; CommonMark cited as addressing this.
Use Cases and Limitations
- Suggested uses: CVs, rich standalone docs, blogs, documentation sites, possible Google Docs–style exchange format, and LLM-generated content rendering.
- Some want more demos, examples, and direct installation instructions; JVM dependence and curl-pipe-to-shell installer are criticized.
- Current cross-references work within a document; cross-document references exist only via “subdocuments,” with cross-subdocument refs intentionally unsupported.
- Questions raised about the layout evaluation model vs. Typst’s context system and about long-document output pipelines (PDF/UA, large books, multilingual sites) — answers remain mostly unclear in the thread.