Convert ORG to DocBook

Why Convert ORG to DocBook?

Converting Org-mode documents to DocBook XML enables professional technical documentation publishing. DocBook is the industry standard for software documentation, technical manuals, and book publishing, used by organizations like O'Reilly Media, Red Hat, and many open-source projects.

DocBook's semantic markup preserves the meaning of your content, not just its appearance. This allows automatic generation of tables of contents, indexes, cross-references, and multiple output formats (PDF, HTML, EPUB, man pages) from a single source document.

For technical writers who prefer Org-mode's editing experience but need to integrate with DocBook-based publishing workflows, this conversion bridges the gap. Write in Emacs, publish with industry-standard tools.

The conversion is particularly valuable for software projects that require structured documentation. DocBook integrates with documentation build systems like Publican, and can be validated against schemas to ensure documentation quality and consistency.

Key Benefits of Converting ORG to DocBook:

• Industry Standard: Used by major publishers and tech companies
• Semantic Structure: Meaningful markup for intelligent processing
• Multi-Format Output: PDF, HTML, EPUB, man pages from one source
• Professional Quality: Publication-ready output
• Schema Validation: Ensure documentation consistency
• Tool Integration: Works with existing DocBook workflows
• Modular Documentation: Reuse content across documents

Practical Examples

Example 1: Software Manual

Input ORG file (manual.org):

#+TITLE: Application User Manual
#+AUTHOR: Development Team

* Getting Started

** System Requirements

- Operating System: Linux, macOS, Windows
- Memory: 4GB RAM minimum
- Disk: 500MB free space

** Installation

#+BEGIN_SRC bash
sudo apt install myapp
#+END_SRC

#+BEGIN_NOTE
Restart required after installation.
#+END_NOTE

Output DocBook (manual.xml):

<book xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook">
  <info>
    <title>Application User Manual</title>
    <author><personname>Development Team</personname></author>
  </info>
  <chapter>
    <title>Getting Started</title>
    <section>
      <title>System Requirements</title>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem><para>Operating System: Linux, macOS, Windows</para></listitem>
        <listitem><para>Memory: 4GB RAM minimum</para></listitem>
        <listitem><para>Disk: 500MB free space</para></listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
    </section>
    <section>
      <title>Installation</title>
      <programlisting language="bash">sudo apt install myapp</programlisting>
      <note><para>Restart required after installation.</para></note>
    </section>
  </chapter>
</book>

Example 2: API Reference

Input ORG file (api.org):

#+TITLE: REST API Reference

* Authentication

All API calls require authentication.

** API Key

Include header: ~X-API-Key: your-key~

* Endpoints

** GET /users

Returns list of all users.

#+BEGIN_SRC json
{
  "users": [{"id": 1, "name": "John"}]
}
#+END_SRC

Output DocBook (api.xml):

<article xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook">
  <info><title>REST API Reference</title></info>
  <section>
    <title>Authentication</title>
    <para>All API calls require authentication.</para>
    <section>
      <title>API Key</title>
      <para>Include header: <literal>X-API-Key: your-key</literal></para>
    </section>
  </section>
  <section>
    <title>Endpoints</title>
    <section>
      <title>GET /users</title>
      <para>Returns list of all users.</para>
      <programlisting language="json">{"users": [{"id": 1, "name": "John"}]}</programlisting>
    </section>
  </section>
</article>

Example 3: Tutorial Guide

Input ORG file (tutorial.org):

#+TITLE: Python Tutorial

* Introduction

Learn Python programming step by step.

* Your First Program

1. Open a text editor
2. Type the following code:

#+BEGIN_SRC python
print("Hello, World!")
#+END_SRC

3. Save as ~hello.py~
4. Run with ~python hello.py~

#+BEGIN_TIP
Use a code editor like VS Code for better experience.
#+END_TIP

Output DocBook (tutorial.xml):

<book xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook">
  <info><title>Python Tutorial</title></info>
  <chapter>
    <title>Introduction</title>
    <para>Learn Python programming step by step.</para>
  </chapter>
  <chapter>
    <title>Your First Program</title>
    <procedure>
      <step><para>Open a text editor</para></step>
      <step><para>Type the following code:</para>
        <programlisting language="python">print("Hello, World!")</programlisting>
      </step>
      <step><para>Save as <filename>hello.py</filename></para></step>
      <step><para>Run with <command>python hello.py</command></para></step>
    </procedure>
    <tip><para>Use a code editor like VS Code.</para></tip>
  </chapter>
</book>

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is DocBook?

A: DocBook is an XML-based semantic markup language designed for technical documentation. It provides elements for books, articles, reference manuals, and other documentation types. DocBook content can be transformed into multiple output formats including PDF, HTML, EPUB, and man pages.

Q: Why use DocBook instead of other formats?

A: DocBook is ideal for complex technical documentation that needs to be published in multiple formats. Its semantic markup ensures content meaning is preserved, and it integrates with professional publishing workflows used by companies like Red Hat, O'Reilly, and many open-source projects.

Q: How do I process DocBook files?

A: DocBook files are typically processed using XSLT stylesheets. The DocBook XSL stylesheets can transform DocBook to HTML, FO (for PDF via FOP or XEP), or other formats. Tools like dblatex can generate PDF directly, and Pandoc can convert DocBook to many formats.

Q: What happens to Org-mode special blocks?

A: Org-mode blocks like NOTE, WARNING, TIP, and CAUTION are converted to DocBook admonition elements (note, warning, tip, caution). These render appropriately in DocBook output with proper styling and icons depending on your stylesheets.

Q: Are Org-mode links preserved?

A: Yes, Org-mode links are converted to DocBook link elements. External URLs become <ulink> or <link xlink:href>, while internal links become <xref> cross-references pointing to section IDs.

Q: What about code blocks?

A: Org-mode code blocks are converted to DocBook <programlisting> elements with the language attribute preserved. This enables syntax highlighting in the final output when appropriate stylesheets or processors are used.

Q: Can I validate the DocBook output?

A: Yes, DocBook files can be validated against the DocBook RELAX NG or DTD schema using tools like xmllint, Jing, or XML editors. This ensures your documentation structure is correct before processing.

Q: Is DocBook 4 or DocBook 5 generated?

A: The conversion generates DocBook 5 XML by default, which uses namespaces and RELAX NG schema. DocBook 5 is the current standard and recommended for new documentation projects. If you need DocBook 4, additional transformation may be required.