RSM markup#
At the core of ReStructured Manuscripts is the RSM markup language. Inspired by popular languages such as Markdown, ReST, and LaTeX, RSM strives for simplicity, flexibility, and functionality.
Every RSM manuscript starts with the string :manuscript: and ends with a double
colon ::. The entire contents of the manuscript are placed within these delimiters.
:manuscript:
Hello, RSM!
::
Strings such as :manuscript: are called tags. In RSM, tags are used to annotate
regions of text, for example to delimit sections and other parts of a manuscript. The
tag functions as open delimiter, and the empty tag ::, a.k.a. Halmos, is the
closing delimiter.
:manuscript:
:abstract:
This is the manuscript's abstract.
::
:section:
:title: First Section
And this is the contents of a section.
::
::
Some tags are used to add meta-data to the annotated regions. For example, the
:section: tag in the previous example introduces a new region of the manuscript,
while the :title: tag directly below it modifies the parent :section: tag by
specifying its title. Tags such as this are called meta tags.
Tags such as :manuscript:, :abstract:, and :section: introduce parts of the
manuscript that are clearly separated from other parts. These are called block tags.
In contrast, the following example illustrates the :span: tag.
:manuscript:
Span tags do not introduce new parts, but
:span: {:strong:} live within:: their
parents.
::
The :span: tag does not introduce a separate block, but a region of text that lives
within its enclosing parent, in this case a paragraph. Tags such as this are called
inline tags.
Furthermore, in this example we used the :strong: tag to modify the enclosing :span: tag,
i.e. :strong: is a meta tag of :span:. Note the use of braces to introduce the
:strong: tag and the use of the Halmos :: as closing delimiter of :span:.
The notation :span: {:strong:} text :: to introduce bold text allows an alternative
shorthand notation using asterisks (*). Similarly, the hashtag (#) symbol can
be used as shorthand to introduce a section with a title.
:manuscript:
# Awesome section
Span tags do not introduce new parts, but
*live within* their parents.
::
::
Here is a complete example using all the basic features of RSM markup.
:manuscript:
:title: RSM Markup
:author:
:name: Melvin J. Blanc
:affiliation: ACME University
:email: mel@acme.edu
::
:abstract:
Web-first scientific manuscripts.
::
# Awesome Section
Simple markup for :span:{:strong:, :emphas:}
web native:: scientific publications.
::
::
The features illustrated on this page cover 90% of what can be done with RSM.
Summary
The base language is comprised of tags, which delimit or modify text. Some tags
introduce new parts of the manuscript (block tags), while others simply annotate
their content (inline tags), or modify the enclosing tag (meta tags). All tags are
introduced by using their name surrounded by colons :tag-name: and end at a
Halmos, or empty tag, ::. Some tags allow for shorthand notation, such as using
asterisks * to introduce bold text. Tags can be nested within the contents of
other tags.
Tip
Whitespace is ignored essentially everywhere in RSM. It is recommended to leave generous whitespace where desired to improve readability.
Tip
Each code block on this site has a button on the bottom right corner that opens the code snippet in the online editor.