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Inspired by Huang's never-ending, productivity journal .txt file and influenced by Tony Stubblebine's concept of "interstitial journaling," the PlainText Journaling Markup Language is designed to simplify the experience of plain text journaling.

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PlainText Journaling Markup Language

Inspired by Jeff Huang's never-ending .txt file for productivity journaling (link) and influenced by Tony Stubblebine's "interstitial journaling," this language attempts to make plain text journaling clearer.

Why?

I tried a similar approach to Jeff but found simple plain text lacking context. I've crafted a syntax that maintains ease while providing better organization of your journal.

What you can expect in this repository:

  • Syntax Instructions: it's work in progress, with continuous improvements for user-friendliness.
  • Text Expander Tooling: Future updates include text expander shortcuts.
  • Draft Python Script: A basic script for terminal-based manipulation is open for exploration.

Features

  • Date formatting (e.g., 2023-11-14) underlined with equals(=) initiates a new entry.
  • Subheadings underlined with dashes.
  • Allows plaintext thoughts with flexible organization.
  • Follows Markdown-like syntax for tasks; variations denoted by symbols (! for important, !! for critical).
  • Supports simple tables for structured data.
  • Special syntax for meeting details, attendees, goals, notes, and tasks.
  • Uses plus (+) for marking focus areas, @-sign for people, and occasionally #-tags for notes.

Refer to syntax.txt for details.

Design Principles

  • Meant for mono-spaced, plain text.
  • Superbly lightweight and easily adopted.
  • Avoid symbol wrapping.
  • Uses symbols on any keyboard.
  • Prioritizes white space for structure and clarity.
  • Legible in any text editor.
  • Limits excessive use of lists to prevent 'outliner' tendencies.
  • Provides clear context indicators for use in lengthy journals.
  • Emphasizes writing and note-taking.

Contribution

Feel free to contribute! Whether refining syntax, suggesting improvements, or adding features, your input is welcome. Fork the project, make changes, and submit a pull request.

License

This project is open-source. You're free to do whatever you want with it.

About

Inspired by Huang's never-ending, productivity journal .txt file and influenced by Tony Stubblebine's concept of "interstitial journaling," the PlainText Journaling Markup Language is designed to simplify the experience of plain text journaling.

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