Haddock to DBK Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
Convert DBK exactly like DocBook: into Word, Markdown or HTML. If your files are still in Haddock format, this page is the shortcut: Haddock is the documentation markup of the Haskell ecosystem: -- comment blocks attached to functions, rendered into the API docs every Hackage package ships.
This converter runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly — your files never leave your device, nothing is uploaded, and there are no watermarks, sign-ups or queues. Drop in several files at once to convert them as a batch.
How Haddock compares to DBK
| Haddock | DBK | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Comment markup (--, 'links', @mono@) | Semantic XML (<chapter>/<section>/<para>) |
| Types / schema | UTF-8 text | XML, DTD/RelaxNG validated |
| Compatibility | Haskell, Hackage, Pandoc | XSL-FO, Pandoc, docbook-xsl |
| Best for | Haskell API documentation | Books, manuals, enterprise documentation |
How to convert Haddock to DBK
- 1
Select your files
Select your Haddock file.
- 2
Convert instantly
The file is first converted to markdown (an interchange format that keeps headings, lists and paragraphs), then rebuilt into the target format.
- 3
Download results
Download the DBK — structure preserved, heavy layout simplified.
About the Haddock format
Haddock is how Haskell explains itself: documentation comments in -- blocks, marked up with 'links' to identifiers, @monospace@ and /italics/, compiled into the API reference pages every package on Hackage publishes. The markup lives inside source files, but the format is its own small language.
Converted out of source comments, Haddock text becomes ordinary structured prose: Pandoc maps headings, code blocks and identifier links onto Markdown or HTML, so API knowledge can move into handbooks, wikis or static-site generators without retyping.
+Strengths
- ✓Documents live next to the code they describe
- ✓Identifier-aware linking across the API
- ✓Standard for the entire Haskell ecosystem
!Limitations
- −Meaningful only inside Haskell projects
- −Small grammar, few writers outside Haddock itself
- −Embedded in comments — needs extraction first
About the DBK format
DocBook is the XML schema that industrial technical publishing was built on. Instead of markup for appearance, it marks meaning: <chapter>, <section>, <para>, <figure>, <indexterm>. A single DocBook source renders to PDF via FO processors, HTML help systems, EPUB and printed books — O'Reilly, Red Hat and virtually every enterprise manual pipeline relied on it, and the man pages on your Linux box descend from the same lineage.
DocBook's rigor is its weight: authoring by hand is verbose, and moving content into lighter systems is a standing chore. Pandoc reads the element structure directly, so a book chapter becomes a Word manuscript or a Markdown docs page with sections, tables and code blocks intact — single-sourcing out, editing comfort in.
+Strengths
- ✓Semantic, presentation-free source of truth
- ✓One source renders to print, web and EPUB
- ✓Decades of enterprise tooling
!Limitations
- −Verbose XML — painful to hand-edit
- −Heavy processor toolchain (XSL-FO)
- −Overkill for anything shorter than a manual
Why convert Haddock to DBK?
Think of it as moving your file to the container that fits the job. Meaningful only inside Haskell projects DBK works differently: Semantic, presentation-free source of truth If any of that sounds like your task, run the conversion — it takes seconds and nothing leaves your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Haddock to DBK converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Is there a file size limit for Haddock to DBK?
The only limit is your device's memory, since nothing is uploaded. Files up to a few hundred megabytes work fine on a modern desktop browser; very large files simply take a little longer.
Does the conversion work offline?
Yes. Once the page has loaded, the conversion itself runs entirely inside your browser — you can even disconnect and keep converting. No file ever touches a server.
Can I edit the DBK result afterwards?
That depends on the target: DBK is designed for what it does, and this converter reproduces its content faithfully rather than inventing editable structure. For heavy re-editing, work from a format built for editing and export the final version here.