MdStory

An interactive fiction scripting format based on Markdown and Handlebars.

Online demo: https://mdstory.elvish.cc

Features

• Seamless integration of Markdown, Handlebars and JavaScript.
• Ease-to-use API, for both Web and command line applications.

File Format

Metadata

The story file header may include YAML-formatted Metadata. Metadata defines the basic information and global configuration of the story.

Chapters

Story files are divided into chapters by level-one headings. The id attribute of the heading serves as the unique identifier (id) for the chapter. If omitted, the heading content is used as the chapter id instead.

Handlebars template language is supported in the chapter content. During rendering, properties in globals and assets are added to the context for direct access by the template.

Helpers

MdStory includes built-in Handlebars helpers for creating interactive components or various functionalities:

{{input type name=default}}

Creates an input of type type and assigns the input value (by default default) to a global variable named name. Supported input types include: string, number, boolean, and object (represented as a JSON string).

In HTML rendering mode, it generates a corresponding <input> element.

{{set name=value}}

Assigns the value value to a global variable named name.

{{#nav target}}

Creates an entry to navigate to another chapter identified by target.

In HTML rendering mode, it generates a corresponding <button type="submit"> element.

{{linebreak [n]}}

Inserts n blank lines, where n defaults to 1.

{{asset name}}

Retrieves the URL of a resource file named name. Basically it works the same as {{name}} except that it supports resource names with special characters.

{{mime name}}

Retrieves the MIME type of a resource file named name.

JavaScript Integration

JavaScript may be included into the story source using the <script> tag. Scripts before any level-one headings are considered global scripts, while those within chapters are considered chapter scripts. Only one <script> tag is allowed at the beginning of the story and in each chapter.

Scripts are evaluated during runtime using the Function() constructor, therefore you may use top-level return statements to return objects of type StoryHooks or ChapterHooks.

Stylesheets

CSS stylesheets may be included using the <style> tag, which are extracted and gathered into the stylesheet property of StoryBody during parsing.

Examples

Here are some examples of story files.

API

type Value

type JsonPrimitive = number | string | boolean | null;
type JsonArray = JsonValue[];
type JsonObject = { [key: string]: JsonValue };
type JsonValue = JsonPrimitive | JsonArray | JsonObject;
type Value = JsonValue;

The type of variables in MdStory, basically all types allowed in JSON, including primitive values (string, number, boolean, null) and nested arrays and objects. Functions and undefined are not supported.

type ValueType

type ValueType = "string" | "number" | "boolean" | "object";

The type indicator for input fields.

type Scope

type Scope = JsonObject;

An object of variable values by their names, used to store global variables or input fields.

type Asset

type Asset = { url: string; mime?: string };

A referenceable resource file.

Properties

• url: The URL of the resource.
• mime (optional): The MIME type of the resource.

type Metadata

type Metadata = {
  title?: string;
  author?: string;
  email?: string;
  assets?: Record<string, Asset>;
};

The Metadata of the story.

Properties

• title (optional): The story title.
• author (optional): The author's name.
• email (optional): The author's email address.
• globals (optional): A Scope containing initial values of global variables.
• assets (optional): An object of all Asset objects used in the story by their names.

type ChapterBody

type ChapterBody = {
  title: string;
  template: string;
  script: string;
};

The structured representation of chapter content.

Properties

• title: The chapter title.
• template: The Handlebars template for rendering.
• script: The JavaScript script for the chapter.

type StoryBody

type StoryBody = {
  metadata: Metadata;
  chapters: Record<string, ChapterBody>;
  entry: string | null;
  script: string;
  stylesheet: string;
};

The structured representation of story content.

Properties

• metadata: The story Metadata.
• chapters: An object of ChapterBody objects by their ids.
• entry: The id of the entry chapter of the story, which may be null.
• script: The global JavaScript script of the story.
• stylesheet: The global stylesheet of the story.

type StoryHooks

type StoryHooks = {
  onStart?: (globals: Scope) => Scope | void;
};

Defines the global lifecycle hooks of the story.

Methods

• onStart (optional): Called when the story starts.
  • Parameters:
    • globals: A Scope of initial global variables.
  • Return value:
    • Updated Scope of global variables or void.

type ChapterHooks

type ChapterHooks = {
  onEnter?: (globals: Scope) => Scope | void;
  onLeave?: (globals: Scope, fields: Scope) => Scope | void;
  onNavigate?: (target: string | null, globals: Scope, fields: Scope) => string | null;
};

Defines the lifecycle hooks of a chapter.

Methods

• onEnter (optional): Called when entering a chapter.
  • Parameters:
    • globals: A Scope of current global variables.
  • Return value:
    • Updated Scope of global variables or void. Such update only applies to the current lifecycle of the chapter.
• onLeave (optional): Called when leaving a chapter.
  • Parameters:
    • globals: A Scope of current global variables.
    • fields: A Scope of input fields from current chapter.
  • Return value:
    • Updated Scope of global variables or void.
• onNavigate (optional): Called during chapter navigation.
  • Parameters:
    • target : id of the target chapter.
    • globals: A Scope of current global variables.
    • fields: A Scope of input fields from current chapter.
  • Return value:
    • Updated target or void.

type Renderer

type Renderer = {
  input?: (options: { name: string; type: ValueType; value: Value }) => string;
  nav?: (options: { target: string; children: string }) => string;
};

Defines the renderer interface for generating outputs in different formats.

Methods

• input (optional): Generates the rendering result of an input field.

  • Parameters:
    • name: The name of the variable.
    • type: The ValueType of the variable.
    • value: The default Value of the variable.
  • Return value:
    • The rendered input field.

• nav (optional): Generates the rendering result of chapter navigation.

  • Parameters:
    • target: The id of the target chapter.
    • children: The text content of the navigation button.
  • Return value:
    • The rendered navigation button.

type RenderOptions

type RenderOptions = {
  format: "markdown" | "html" | Renderer;
  html?: boolean;
};

Defines rendering options.

Properties

• format: The rendering format, which may be "markdown", "html", or a custom Renderer.
• html (optional): Whether to parse Markdown into HTML, defaults to false.

type RenderResult

type RenderResult = {
  text: string;
  inputs: { name: string; type: ValueType; value: Value }[];
  navs: { text: string; target: string | null }[];
};

The rendering result, containing the rendered text and extracted fields.

Properties

• text: The rendered text content.
• inputs: An array of input fields, each containing:
  • name: The name of the variable.
  • type: The ValueType of the variable.
  • value: The default Value of the variable.
• navs: An array of navigation fields, each containing:
  • text: The text content of the navigation button.
  • target: The id of the target chapter.

type ChapterOptions

type ChapterOptions = {
  id: string;
  title: string;
  template: string;
  hooks: ChapterHooks;
};

Defines the initialization options of a chapter.

Properties

• id: The unique identifier of the chapter.
• title: The title of the chapter.
• template: The Handlebars template for rendering.
• hooks: An object of type ChapterHooks.

class Chapter

class Chapter {
  id: string;
  title: string;
  template: string;
  hooks: ChapterHooks;

  constructor(options: ChapterOptions);
  render(scope: Scope, assets: Record<string, Asset>, options: RenderOptions): string;
}

Defines a chapter.

Properties

• id: The unique identifier of the chapter.
• title: The title of the chapter.
• template: The Handlebars template for rendering.
• hooks: Chapter hooks of type ChapterHooks.

Methods

• constructor: Initializes the chapter instance.
  • Parameters:
    • options: An object of type ChapterOptions.
• render: Renders the chapter content.
  • Parameters:
    • scope: An object of type Scope for template rendering.
    • assets: An object of Asset objects by their names.
    • options: An object of type RenderOptions.
  • Return value:
    • An object of type RenderResult.

type StoryPrompt

type StoryPrompt = (props: { chapter: Chapter } & RenderResult) => Promise<{ target: string | null; updates: Scope } | FormData>;

Defines the prompt function of the story, used to handle user input.

Parameters

• props: An object containing the current chapter and rendering result.
  • chapter: Current Chapter.
  • text: The rendered chapter content.
  • inputs, navs: Fields from RenderResult.

Return value

• A Promise resolving to one of the following forms:
  • { target, updates }: The id of the target chapter and updated Scope of global variables.
  • FormData: Contains the form data of user input, typically from a Web app.

class StoryBase

class StoryBase {
  metadata: Metadata;
  globals: Scope;
  chapters: Record<string, Chapter>;
  entry: Chapter | null;
  hooks: StoryHooks;
  stylesheet: string;
  assets: Record<string, Asset>;

  constructor(storyBody: StoryBody);
  play(prompt: StoryPrompt, options: RenderOptions): Promise<void>;
}

Defines the base class of the story, containing the core logic of the story.

Properties

• metadata: Story Metadata.
• globals: A Scope of global variables.
• chapters: An object of Chapter objects by their ids.
• entry: The entry Chapter of the story.
• hooks: An object of type StoryHooks.
• stylesheet: The global stylesheet of the story.
• assets: An object of Asset objects by their names.

Methods

• constructor: Initializes the story instance.
• play: Starts playing the story.
  • Parameters:
    • prompt: A function of type StoryPrompt.
    • options: An object of type RenderOptions.
  • Return value:
    • A Promise resolving to void.

function parseStorySource

function parseStorySource(source: string): StoryBody;

Parses the story source in Markdown format.

Parameters

• source: The story source in Markdown format.

Return value

• An object of type StoryBody.

class Story

class Story extends StoryBase {
  constructor(source: string);
}

Inherits from StoryBase, creating a story instance from the story source in Markdown format.

Methods

• constructor: Initializes the story instance.
  • Parameters:
    • source: The story source in Markdown format.