Using Markdown for documenting a Xara Website Design

[Acorn]

As a web designer, I document as much of a website structure necessary to give myself a leg up when it comes to maintenance.

In the past, I have created separate documents in MS Word and used screenshots and built up the site's construction that way.
i have even added never to be published Layers or just place detail off the design page.

None really work that well especially the last two as I am changing my Master file, which is so easy to corrupt or delete something in error.

What I have been trying out is creating a Markdown file that is separate to the site but in the same level as the HTM page(s). It can be published anywhere but I find if I have it at the top of a local Export folder, I can readily link across the to site's images, remembering to use Image Filename and avoid Xara's bad handling of Buttons and NavBars (pet hate).

I use the Markdown file as an aide memoir of the tasks I need to deliver the site and ultimately all the detail in how that was achieved.
Markdown does all this with a simple text editor and a small set of formatting characters.
The Markdown presented here is converted to HTML so you can see the richness of the approach.
There are tools available to convert Markdown to PDF, ODF and even eBook formats.

I have included a demonstration file:

JS - Zero-MD Renderer.xar

WordPress can use Markdown and I use it frequently in my TiddlyWikis.

John Gruber created Markdown in 2004 but guess what?
Xara (then Computer Concepts) had a word processor application that was doing similar things long before.
Might be nice to resurrect it in the Xara Design applications. A Markdown Importer might be a good start.

Acorn

[wizard509]

Thank you, Acorn, been following you and web related posts, who knows one day I may use this informatio.



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