INK Format Parser & Documentation Site

A parser, lexer, and live documentation playground for the INK FORMAT v1.0 specification.

What is INK?

INK is a strict, plain-text markup language designed specifically for writers, novelists, and storytellers who want to focus on their narrative without the clutter of complex formatting like HTML or Markdown. It enforces a clean, readable structure with built-in support for literary concepts like chapters, scenes, character thoughts, flashbacks, and revision tracking. By using INK, writers ensure their manuscripts are perfectly formatted, purely structural, and easily parsable by machines for analysis, conversion, or publishing.

Features

• NPM Package Built-In: Install via npm i @alikaner/dotink and use the strongly typed methods directly in any Node/TS project.
• Strict Parsing: Enforces rules like maximum 120 characters per line, mandatory headers (@BOOK, @REVISION), and no HTML.
• AST Generation: Converts raw .ink files into a strongly typed Abstract Syntax Tree (AST).
• Ink Exporter: Convert your generated JSON AST objects strictly back into stringified .ink files.
• Interactive Playground: A Next.js web application to test .ink files in real-time.

Installation

npm install @alikaner/dotink

Usage

import { parseInk, jsonToInk, InkBook } from '@alikaner/dotink';

// String to AST
const { ast, errors } = parseInk('@BOOK\\nTITLE: Hello\\n...');

// AST to String
const { result, errors: exportErrors } = jsonToInk(ast);

The .ink Format Specification

The .ink format is a strict plain-text format designed for writing stories and structured documents.

Rules:

• Encoding: UTF-8 plain text only.
• No HTML, Emojis, or Special Fonts.
• Line Length: Max 120 characters per line.
• Headers: Must start with @BOOK and include metadata (TITLE, AUTHOR, etc.).
• Revisions: Must end with a @REVISION block.
• Blocks: Supports [[THOUGHT]], [[FLASHBACK]], and [[DREAM]].
• Tags: Supports internal tags like <<FIX>>, <<IDEA>>, <<CHECK>>.

Example

See src/examples/dark-path.ink.

Getting Started

First, install the dependencies:

npm install

Run the parser tests:

npx tsx src/parser/test.ts

Run the development server for the Playground:

npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000 with your browser to see the result.