dotlit extends markdown into executable documents
.lit is a plain text document format that extends Markdown with sections, cells, and executable code blocks. It synthesizes ideas from literate-programming, interactive notebooks, digital-gardens, and wikis.
Philosophy
The core aim is "guided learning"—teaching through hands-on examples rather than passive explanation. Unlike typical notebook tools, .lit is designed as "an acceptable development environment" itself, not a stepping stone to something else.
Key Features
- Executable code blocks that run directly in documents
- Sections and cells for structured organization beyond standard Markdown
- Plugin system with viewers, REPLs, parsers, renderers, menu items, and lifecycle hooks
- Transclusion for embedding content from other documents
- Wikilinks with fragment support
- File system using LightningFS with GitHub API backend
- In-place editing through client-side JavaScript/React hydration
Implementation
Built on the unified/remark ecosystem for parsing. Renders to HTML with optional React hydration for interactivity. Available as @dotlit/dotlit on npm.
Source: github.com/dotlitdev/dotlit
See: dotlit.org
Relation to this Garden
This garden's build system shares DNA with dotlit's approach—Markdown source, wikilinks, backlinks. The key difference is simplicity: this garden is static-only, while dotlit enables interactive execution and in-browser editing.
See also: literate-programming, knowledge-work-should-accrete