Haddock to DocBook Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
Haddock is the documentation markup of the Haskell ecosystem: -- comment blocks attached to functions, rendered into the API docs every Hackage package ships. Convert DocBook when XML source needs to become Word manuscripts, Markdown docs or web pages.
iLoveConverter processes everything locally on your computer, which makes it private and fast: no upload wait, no server storage, no limits. Add as many files as you like — batch conversion is built in.
How Haddock compares to DocBook
| Haddock | DocBook | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 DocBook
- 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 DocBook — 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 DocBook 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 DocBook?
There is a concrete reason this conversion exists: Meaningful only inside Haskell projects DocBook sidesteps that — Semantic, presentation-free source of truth If that is your situation, the tool above settles it in seconds, entirely on your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Haddock to DocBook 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 DocBook?
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.
Can I edit the DocBook result afterwards?
That depends on the target: DocBook 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.
Will the layout of my Haddock file be preserved exactly?
This converter renders your Haddock content into DocBook with pages, proportions and images kept as close to the original as the target format allows. Use the preview before downloading to confirm it looks the way you expect.