Baseprint Document Format (BpDF)

BpDF is a format for encoding a Baseprint document snapshot. These snapshots can be identified with a SoftWare Hash IDentifier (SWHID). Baseprint document snapshots exemplify the concept of "baseprint" discussed in the document "What is a baseprint?".

Objectives

BpDF aims to minimize format rot. Unlike formats like LaTeX and Markdown, which are used for authoring, BpDF is designed for redistribution and archiving.

BpDF'23

BpDF'23 is the version of BpDF as supported by software circa 2023 that can read and write BpDF.

Technically, BpDF'23 is not a file format but a format for a directory-like data structure. This structure is addressable as a Git tree and SWHID directory.

When working with BpDF data, it is often temporarily stored in a file system directory. However, for public long-term storage, BpDF data is stored in a SWHID addressable Git tree or an equivalent "directory" object in the Software Heritage Archive.

Inside BpDF'23, there is a file named article.xml encoded in a subset of the JATS XML format. This file format can informally be referred to as Baseprint JATS XML. As of October 2023, all applications that read Baseprint document snapshots encoded in BpDF'23 use the epijats Python library.

BpDF Reading Software

epijats:

An open-source library used by perm.pub, popgen.es, BaseprintPress, and Baseprinter (for previews).

Snapshot Writing Software

Baseprinter:

A BpDF authoring tool available through GitHub Actions, container, or local installation.

Pandoc:

This tool can output JATS XML, which can be BpDF compatible.