GitBook
=======

:warning: This branch contains the version 2.0.

[![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/GitbookIO/gitbook.png?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/GitbookIO/gitbook)
[![NPM version](https://badge.fury.io/js/gitbook.svg)](http://badge.fury.io/js/gitbook)

GitBook is a command line tool (and Node.js library) for building beautiful books using GitHub/Git and Markdown (or AsciiDoc). Here is an example: [Learn Javascript](https://www.gitbook.com/book/GitBookIO/javascript). You can publish and host book easily online using [gitbook.com](https://www.gitbook.com), a web-editor is [also available](https://www.gitbook.com/editor). You can follow [@GitBookIO](https://twitter.com/GitBookIO) on Twitter. Complete documentation is available at [help.gitbook.io](http://help.gitbook.io/).

![Image](https://raw.github.com/GitbookIO/gitbook/master/preview.png)

## How to use it:

GitBook can be installed from **NPM** using:

```
$ npm install gitbook -g
```

Create the directories and files for a book from its [SUMMARY.md](https://github.com/GitbookIO/gitbook#book-format) file using
```
$ gitbook init
```

You can serve a repository as a book using:

```
$ gitbook serve ./repository
```

Or simply build the static website using:

```
$ gitbook build ./repository ./outputFolder
```

## Features

* [Output as a website or ebook (pdf, epub, mobi)](#output-formats)
* [Multi-Languages](#multi-languages)
* [Glossary](#glossary)
* [Cover](#cover)
* [AsciiDoc Support](#asciidoc)
* [Variables and Templating](#variables-and-templating)
* [Content References](#content-references)
* [Plugins](#plugins)
* Interractive reader website:
    * Search
    * Font Settings (Serif, Sans Serif)
    * Themes: white, sepia, night

## Output Formats

GitBook can generate your book in the following formats:

* **Static Website**: This is the default format. It generates a complete interactive static website that can be, for example, hosted on GitHub Pages.
* **eBook**: You need to have [ebook-convert](http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/cli/ebook-convert.html) installed.  You can specify the eBook filename as the second argument, otherwise `book` will be used.
  * Generate a **PDF** using:  `gitbook pdf ./myrepo ./mybook.pdf`
  * Generate a **ePub** using: `gitbook epub ./myrepo ./mybook.epub`
  * Generate a **MOBI** using: `gitbook mobi ./myrepo ./mybook.mobi`
* **JSON**: This format is used for debugging or extracting metadata from a book. Generate this format using: ```gitbook build ./myrepo --format=json```.

## Book Format

A book is a Git repository containing at least 2 files: `README.md` and `SUMMARY.md`.

#### README.md

Typically, this should be the introduction for your book. It will be automatically added to the final summary.

#### SUMMARY.md

The `SUMMARY.md` defines your book's structure. It should contain a list of chapters, linking to their respective pages.

Example:

```markdown
# Summary

This is the summary of my book.

* [section 1](section1/README.md)
    * [example 1](section1/example1.md)
    * [example 2](section1/example2.md)
* [section 2](section2/README.md)
    * [example 1](section2/example1.md)
```

Files that are not included in `SUMMARY.md` will not be processed by `gitbook`.

#### Multi-Languages

GitBook supports building books written in multiple languages. Each language should be a sub-directory following the normal GitBook format, and a file named `LANGS.md` should be present at the root of the repository with the following format:

```markdown
* [English](en/)
* [French](fr/)
* [Español](es/)
```

You can see a complete example with the [Learn Git](https://github.com/GitbookIO/git) book.

#### Glossary

Allows you to specify terms and their respective definitions to be displayed in the glossary. Based on those terms, `gitbook` will automatically build an index and highlight those terms in pages.

The `GLOSSARY.md` format is very simple :

```markdown
# term
Definition for this term

# Another term
With it's definition, this can contain bold text and all other kinds of inline markup ...
```

#### Variables and Templating

A set of variables can be defined in the `book.json`:

```js
{
    "variables": {
        "host": "mybook.com"
    }
}
```

These variables can be used in the markdown files:

```
The host is {{ book.host }}
```

You can also use condition with these variables:

```
{% if book.host == "mybook.com" %}

{% else %}

{% endif %}
```

Variables of `book.json` are available in the `book` namespace. You can also access informations about the `file` itself and the `gitbook` version:

```
My file is {{ file.path }}
Modified at {{ file.mtime }}
Book built with GitBook {{ gitbook.version }}
```

#### Content References

You can use "content references," or conrefs, when writing books or documentation using GitBook.

Include a file from the same book:

```
{% include "./test.md" %}
```

or from a git repository (with a specific revision):

```
{% include "git+https://github.com/GitbookIO/documentation.git/README.md#1.0.1" %}
```

Includes can be used with variables (see [Variables and Templating](#variables-and-templating)):

```
{% include book.ref_doc_readme %}
```

#### Ignoring files & folders

GitBook will read the `.gitignore`, `.bookignore` and `.ignore` files to get a list of files and folders to skip. (The format inside those files follows the same convention as `.gitignore`).

Best practices for the `.gitignore` is to ignore build files from **node.js** (`node_modules`, ...) and build files from GitBook: `_book`, `*.epub`, `*.mobi` and `*.pdf` ([Download GitBook.gitignore](https://github.com/github/gitignore/blob/master/GitBook.gitignore)).

#### Cover

A cover image can be set by creating a file: **/cover.jpg**.
The best resolution is **1800x2360**. The generation of the cover can be done automatically using the plugin [autocover](https://github.com/GitbookIO/plugin-autocover).

A small version of the cover can also be set by creating a file: **/cover_small.jpg**.

#### AsciiDoc

Since version 2.0.0, AsciiDoc can be used instead of Markdown, simply replace the `.md` by the `.adoc` extension. Chapters in the summary are detected from an ordered list in the `SUMMARY.adoc`.

## Publish your book

The platform [GitBook.com](https://www.gitbook.com/) is like an "Heroku for books": you can create a book on it (public, paid, or private) and update it using **git push**.

## Plugins

Plugins can be used to extend your book's functionality. Read [GitbookIO/plugin](https://github.com/GitbookIO/plugin) for more information about how to build a plugin for GitBook.

Plugins needed to build a book can be installed using: `gitbook install ./`.

##### Official plugins:

| Name | Description |
| ----- | ---- |
| [exercises](https://github.com/GitbookIO/plugin-exercises) | Add interactive exercises to your book. |
| [quizzes](https://github.com/GitbookIO/plugin-quizzes) | Add interactive quizzes to your book. |
| [mathjax](https://github.com/GitbookIO/plugin-mathjax) | Displays mathematical notation in the book. |
| [mixpanel](https://github.com/GitbookIO/plugin-mixpanel) | Mixpanel tracking for your book |
| [infinitescroll](https://github.com/GitbookIO/gitbook-plugin-infinitescroll) | Infinite Scrolling |

##### Other plugins:

| Name | Description |
| ----- | ---- |
| [Google Analytics](https://github.com/GitbookIO/plugin-ga) | Google Analytics tracking for your book |
| [Disqus](https://github.com/GitbookIO/plugin-disqus) | Disqus comments integration in your book |
| [Autocover](https://github.com/GitbookIO/plugin-autocover) | Generate a cover for your book |
| [Transform annoted quotes to notes](https://github.com/erixtekila/gitbook-plugin-richquotes) | Allow extra markdown markup to render blockquotes as nice notes |
| [Send code to console](https://github.com/erixtekila/gitbook-plugin-toconsole) | Evaluate javascript block in the browser inspector's console |
| [Revealable sections](https://github.com/mrpotes/gitbook-plugin-reveal) | Reveal sections of the page using buttons made from the first title in each section |
| [Markdown within HTML](https://github.com/mrpotes/gitbook-plugin-nestedmd) | Process markdown within HTML blocks - allows custom layout options for individual pages |
| [Bootstrap JavaScript plugins](https://github.com/mrpotes/gitbook-plugin-bootstrapjs) | Use the [Bootstrap JavaScript plugins](http://getbootstrap.com/javascript) in your online GitBook |
| [Piwik Open Analytics](https://github.com/emmanuel-keller/gitbook-plugin-piwik) | Piwik Open Analytics tracking for your book |
| [Heading Anchors](https://github.com/rlmv/gitbook-plugin-anchors) | Add linkable Github-style anchors to headings |
| [JSBin](https://github.com/jcouyang/gitbook-plugin-jsbin) | Embedded jsbin frame into your book |
| [GrVis](https://github.com/romanlytkin/gitbook-grvis) | Gitbook GrViz plugin is used to select from markdown dot and converting it into a picture format svg |
| [PlantUml](https://github.com/romanlytkin/gitbook-plantuml) | Gitbook PlantUml plugin is used to select from markdown uml and converting it into a picture format svg |
| [Mermaid](https://github.com/JozoVilcek/gitbook-plugin-mermaid) | Adds diagrams and flowcharts rendered by [mermaid](https://github.com/knsv/mermaid) |

## Debugging

You can use the options `--log=debug` and `--debug` to get better error messages (with stack trace). For example:

```
$ gitbook build ./ -- log=debug --debug
```