Haddock to Ms 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. Produce ms source when a document must run through classic troff/groff typesetting.
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 Ms
| Haddock | Ms | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Comment markup (--, 'links', @mono@) | roff ms macros (.TL/.NH/.DS) |
| Types / schema | UTF-8 text | Plain text, troff grammar |
| Compatibility | Haskell, Hackage, Pandoc | groff -ms, heirloom-doctools |
| Best for | Haskell API documentation | Papers and memos via troff |
How to convert Haddock to Ms
- 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 Ms — 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 Ms format
The ms macros are the other great roff package: Bell Labs' general-purpose typesetting layer that produced papers, memos and books on Unix since the 1970s. Where man pages have one narrow shape, ms gives you .TL titles, .NH numbered headings, .DS display blocks — a full letterpress-grade document system in a few dozen macros.
ms remains the shortest path from plain text to a classically typeset PDF via groff. Generating ms from Markdown sources with Pandoc lets modern writing flow into that pipeline: the content is authored today, the typography comes from fifty years of Unix tradition.
+Strengths
- ✓Classic, reproducible print typography
- ✓Tiny macro set, no GUI needed
- ✓groff ships everywhere
!Limitations
- −Niche outside academic/Unix circles
- −No rich media
- −Learning curve comparable to LaTeX
Why convert Haddock to Ms?
Think of it as moving your file to the container that fits the job. Meaningful only inside Haskell projects Ms works differently: Classic, reproducible print typography 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 Ms 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 Ms?
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.
Will the layout of my Haddock file be preserved exactly?
This converter renders your Haddock content into Ms 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.