https://git.spwbk.site/swatson/modmark/raw/master/README.org
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* Modmark

 This repo encapsulates an attempt to develop a markup language for describing modular synth patches.

 In future, this scope may be expanded to make available a language for describing arbitrary audio and
 data routing across a wide array of devices.

** Current Status and Goals

  This software is currently a prototype. Right now the "compiler" is a Perl script that translates a
  =.modmark= file into a flowchart via Graphviz.

  A rough road map looks something like:
  - [X] Prototype compiler in Perl
  - [ ] Test and stabilize syntax/grammar/prototype compiler
    - [ ] Bug with connections where similar connection names are not resolved properly,
      resulting in duplicate or merged connections
    - [ ] Clean up module naming, should support =-= chars, possibly other chars
  - [ ] Implement modmark as a source-to-source compiler in Racket ( "Real" implementation )
    - [ ] Implement =import as= semantics for brevity
    - [ ] Implement =import Module::MakeNoise::*= semantics for brevity
    - [ ] Implement importing specific module revisions, ie: =import Module::MakeNoise::Wogglebug::Rev1=
    - [ ] Standardize input/knob labeling semantics:
      #+BEGIN_SRC
      - Input: Foo
      -- Position: [1,12]

      - Knob: Foo
      -- Position: [1,12]

      # Currently both of above "compile", and work as expected, in the case where a
      # module parameter has both a knob and an input. It may be better to only have one way?
      #+END_SRC
  - [ ] Develop libraries for as many modules as possible

** Purpose

  In the past I've found it difficult to discuss discrete details of modular patches on the internet. This
  arises, I believe, from the large amount of effort and time it takes to describe the intricacies of a modular
  patch in long form plain English. This prototype language is an attempt to address that problem.

  By specifying a concise syntax that favors brevity over absolute human-readability, the hope is to get more
  modular synth users to document their patches and enable more knowledge sharing across the community.

  I know of one other attempt to solve this problem: https://github.com/SpektroAudio/Patchbook

  My problem with Patchbook is that it still requires a lot of "boilerplate", in that you have to specify
  modules yourself. Modmark aims to offload this task by having the community describe modules in a Library format
  (=.module= files) that can then be imported. In this way, we can specify a module /once/ and then not have
  to do that work again the next time we'd like to use it in a patch.

** Syntax
*** A Module File
   [[file:./module_lib/maths.module][Make Noise Maths]]

*** A Patch
   [[file:./patches/example.modmark][Example Patch]]