Convert TEX to DocBook
Max file size 100mb.
TEX vs DocBook Format Comparison
| Aspect | TEX (Source Format) | DocBook (Target Format) |
|---|---|---|
| Format Overview |
TEX / LaTeX
Document Preparation System
LaTeX is a high-quality typesetting system designed for scientific and technical documentation. Created by Leslie Lamport in 1984, it's the de facto standard for academic papers in mathematics, physics, and computer science. Scientific Academic Plain Text |
DocBook
Semantic XML Markup Language
DocBook is a semantic markup language for technical documentation, originally developed at HaL Computer Systems and O'Reilly Media. It separates content from presentation and can be transformed to HTML, PDF, EPUB, and many other formats via XSLT stylesheets. XML Semantic Multi-Output |
| Technical Specifications |
File Extension: .tex, .latex, .ltx
MIME Type: application/x-tex Character Set: UTF-8, ASCII Type: Plain text markup Processing: Compiled to PDF/DVI |
File Extension: .xml, .dbk, .docbook
MIME Type: application/docbook+xml Schema: DocBook 5.x (RELAX NG) Namespace: http://docbook.org/ns/docbook Processing: XSLT to HTML/PDF/EPUB |
| Syntax Examples |
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
\section{Introduction}
This is a paragraph with
\textbf{bold} and \textit{italic}.
\begin{itemize}
\item First item
\item Second item
\end{itemize}
\end{document}
|
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<article xmlns="...">
<section>
<title>Introduction</title>
<para>This is a paragraph with
<emphasis role="bold">bold</emphasis>
and <emphasis>italic</emphasis>.
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>First</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>Second</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</section>
</article>
|
| Content Support |
|
|
| Advantages |
|
|
| Disadvantages |
|
|
| Common Uses |
|
|
| Best For |
|
|
| Version History |
1978: TeX created by Donald Knuth
1984: LaTeX 2.0 by Leslie Lamport 1994: LaTeX2e (current) 2020: LaTeX3 interfaces mature |
1991: DocBook 1.0 (SGML)
1998: DocBook 3.1 (XML support) 2006: DocBook 5.0 (RELAX NG) 2016: DocBook 5.1 (Assembly) |
| Software Support |
TeX Live: Full distribution
MiKTeX: Windows distribution Overleaf: Online editor TeXstudio: Cross-platform IDE |
Oxygen XML: Professional editor
XMLmind: WYSIWYG editor Pandoc: Read/Write support Saxon/xsltproc: XSLT processing |
Why Convert LaTeX to DocBook?
DocBook is the industry standard for technical documentation, used by major open source projects like the Linux kernel, GNOME, FreeBSD, and many enterprise organizations. Converting your LaTeX documents to DocBook opens up powerful publishing workflows and content management capabilities.
Unlike LaTeX which produces one output format per compilation, DocBook's XSLT-based processing can generate HTML websites, PDF documents, EPUB ebooks, man pages, and more - all from a single source file. This "single source publishing" dramatically reduces maintenance overhead for documentation that needs to be delivered in multiple formats.
DocBook's semantic markup also enables advanced features like conditional text (showing different content to different audiences), content profiling, and modular document assembly. You can reuse paragraphs, sections, or entire chapters across multiple publications without duplication.
For organizations migrating academic papers into technical documentation systems, or researchers contributing to open source projects, converting LaTeX to DocBook provides a bridge between the academic and technical documentation worlds.
Practical Examples
Example 1: Academic Paper to Software Manual
Convert a research paper describing an algorithm into product documentation:
\section{Algorithm Overview}
The sorting algorithm operates
in $O(n \log n)$ time.
<section> <title>Algorithm Overview</title> <para>The sorting algorithm operates in O(n log n) time.</para> </section>
Example 2: Multi-Format Publishing
Once converted to DocBook, generate multiple output formats:
# Generate HTML website xsltproc docbook-xsl/html/chunk.xsl document.xml # Generate PDF via FO xsltproc docbook-xsl/fo/docbook.xsl document.xml | fop -fo - -pdf output.pdf # Generate EPUB ebook dbtoepub document.xml
Example 3: Modular Documentation
DocBook supports including content from separate files for reuse:
<book xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"> <title>Product Manual</title> <xi:include href="chapters/introduction.xml"/> <xi:include href="chapters/installation.xml"/> <xi:include href="shared/appendix-legal.xml"/> <!-- Reused across products --> </book>
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is DocBook and who uses it?
A: DocBook is a semantic XML vocabulary for technical documentation, originally created at HaL Computer Systems and O'Reilly Media. It's used by major projects including the Linux kernel documentation, GNOME, KDE, FreeBSD, PostgreSQL, and many enterprise organizations for their technical manuals and API documentation.
Q: How do I view and process DocBook files?
A: DocBook XML files need XSLT transformation to produce readable output. Use the official DocBook XSL stylesheets with processors like Saxon, xsltproc, or Xalan. GUI tools like Oxygen XML Editor and XMLmind provide WYSIWYG editing and one-click publishing to HTML, PDF, and EPUB.
Q: Will my LaTeX mathematical equations be preserved?
A: DocBook supports mathematical content via MathML. Our converter transforms LaTeX equations to MathML where possible, or preserves them as LaTeX notation within DocBook's <equation> elements. Complex equations may require manual review for optimal MathML conversion.
Q: DocBook 4 vs DocBook 5 - which version is output?
A: This converter outputs DocBook 5.x format, the current standard. DocBook 5 uses RELAX NG schema (instead of DTD), is namespace-aware, and has a cleaner element set. It's recommended for all new projects and has excellent tooling support.
Q: Can I convert DocBook back to LaTeX?
A: Yes, tools like Pandoc and custom XSLT stylesheets can convert DocBook to LaTeX. However, some semantic information may be lost since DocBook has a richer element vocabulary than LaTeX. The reverse conversion works best for simpler documents.
Q: How are LaTeX cross-references handled?
A: LaTeX \label and \ref commands are converted to DocBook's xml:id attributes and <xref> elements. These provide similar functionality with automatic numbering and linking when the document is processed with XSLT stylesheets.
Q: What happens to my BibTeX bibliography?
A: Bibliography entries can be converted to DocBook's <bibliography> and <biblioentry> elements. Complex bibliographies may need manual adjustment. DocBook also supports external bibliography databases via entity references.
Q: Is DocBook suitable for short documents?
A: DocBook's verbose XML syntax adds overhead for simple documents. It shines for large documentation projects, multi-format publishing, and content reuse scenarios. For short, one-off documents, simpler formats like Markdown or AsciiDoc may be more practical.