Quick Start

This is the shortest useful end-to-end ProtoML workflow.

1. Install

npm install -g protoml-parser

2. Create `test.pml`

@tags_import "_tags.pml"
@protocol "Weekly Sync - {{date}}"

@date:17.04.2026

@participants
=lead:Jane Doe,jdoe,jdoe@example.com
=ops:Max Mustermann,mmustermann,max@example.com

@subjects
=0:Release status
=1:Next steps

@tasks
-[ ] Prepare package notes @ptp=lead =0 @tag=important
-[ ] Validate release build @ptp=ops =1 @tag=review

@meeting "Minutes"
# Weekly Sync
## Participants
@@e=lead, @@e=ops
## Topics
@@e=0
@@e=1

3. Create `_tags.pml`

@title "Shared Workflow Tags"

@tags
=important:High priority
=review:Needs review

This first split already demonstrates a useful ProtoML habit: keep reusable classification in a shared tags file and keep meeting-specific content in the meeting file.

4. Render HTML

protoparser "test.pml" html

HTML is the best first output because it shows most of the structure, styling, tags, and macro behavior in the richest form.

5. Open it in the viewer

protoviewer "test.pml"

Use the viewer when you want a local review loop while editing instead of thinking in terms of generated export files.

6. Add a first macro

@macro badge "{{macro_dir}}/badge.pml"
@@macro=badge:text=review

This is a good first macro because it adds presentation reuse without changing the document model itself.

7. Explore the feature suite

protoparser "examples/feature-suite/main_demo.pml" html
protoparser analyze "examples/feature-suite/main_demo.pml" statistics
protoparser tags "examples/feature-suite/_workflow_tags.pml" statistics

The feature suite is where you should look once the first file makes sense. It shows imports, tag merging, macros, analysis, and richer cross-file behavior.

Path recommendation

Wrap file paths in double quotes whenever possible, especially for paths with spaces or {{macro_dir}}.

What you learned in this first pass

ProtoML separates structured data from the reader-facing narrative
Shared tags are a practical way to keep task language consistent
HTML and the viewer are the easiest first ways to inspect a document
Macros add reusable rendering patterns on top of a stable document structure