Do you dream of creating your own e-book or a hefty technical documentation but don’t know where to start?
Look no further, mdBook is here for you!
This is a tool written in Rust, which, with the help of a few simple commands, allows you to initialize the structure of your book, write your content in Markdown, customize the output, and put it online. Here’s an example of what the output might look like.
To start your journey with mdBook, nothing could be simpler. Install the tool by following the instructions on the official website, then run the following command in a terminal:
mdbook init my-first-bookAnd there you go, the skeleton of your masterpiece is ready, and all that’s left is to write!
mdBook is packed with features to format your content. You can organize your chapters in the SUMMARY.md file, add an introduction page in README.md, create your own template, and even include images and other resources. Once your prose is finalized, you can bring your book to life with the command:
mdbook serveThis will generate an interactive web version accessible via a web server, with integrated navigation and a search engine for your writings. And the command:
mdbook build… will allow you to generate an HTML version of your book.
I find it very satisfying to use Markdown for writing and formatting. I used to do it for PowerPoint-style presentations but all in Markdown back when I was doing conferences, and it was a real time saver.
But the real strength of mdBook is its ability to automate the publication of your book. Thanks to continuous integration, every change you make can be instantly put online. No more tedious manual updates!
In short, as you can see, mdBook is an excellent tool for authors who love to share their work with their community. Oh, I almost forgot! If you need inspiration, feel free to explore the official mdBook documentation. You’ll find tips, examples, and even testimonials from satisfied authors.
