Use cases — Wikipedia (an alternative approach)
This section does not propose replacing Wikipedia or its ecosystem. It is a design exercise: how encyclopedic content could be represented with a Human-First format and, at the same time, structured and validatable.
The idea is to show an alternative approach for:
- collaborative editorial content,
- with sections and references,
- and with fragments that are “data” (fact boxes, links, categories).
What a Wikipedia-type page needs
An encyclopedic page usually has:
- Title and metadata.
- Opening summary (lead).
- Hierarchical sections.
- Internal and external links.
- References (citations).
- Categories.
- Sometimes an “infobox” with structured data.
STXT allows modeling all of that as:
- free text in
>>blocks where reading matters, - explicit structure where the tree matters,
- and optional validation if consistency is desired.
Example 1 — Minimal page
A very small page, with a summary and one section.
Page (@com.example.wiki): Title: STXT Lead >> STXT (Semantic Text) is a hierarchical textual format designed to be human-readable and reliable for machines. Sections: Section: Heading: Description Content >> STXT uses indentation to define hierarchy and offers literal `>>` blocks for multiline text. Categories: Category: Data formats Category: Markup languages
Example 2 — Nested sections
In Wikipedia it is very common to have sections and subsections. In STXT that is a natural tree.
Page (@com.example.wiki): Title: Markup languages Lead >> A markup language is a system for annotating a document so that its structure is distinguishable from the content. Sections: Section: Heading: History Content >> Markup languages have evolved from systems for printing to structured formats for the web. Subsections: Section: Heading: SGML Content >> SGML was an important standard for describing structured documents. Section: Heading: HTML Content >> HTML became popular with the World Wide Web as a format for hypertext. Section: Heading: Uses Content >> They are used for technical documentation, publications, and web content.
Example 3 — Internal and external links
In Wikipedia there are “internal” links (to other pages) and external links. In STXT they can be expressed as explicit nodes, without “inventing” syntax inside the text.
Page (@com.example.wiki): Title: STXT Lead >> STXT can be compared with other formats such as JSON and YAML. Links: Internal: Link: Title: JSON Page: JSON Link: Title: YAML Page: YAML External: Link: Title: Example repository Url: https://example.com/stxt Sections: Section: Heading: Comparison Content >> See also the related formats listed in the links section.
Example 4 — References and citations
A typical pattern in encyclopedias is:
- the text mentions something,
- a reference supports it,
- the reference appears in a list.
A clear way in STXT is to separate:
- references as a processable block,
- and citation “markers” within the text as something optional (for example
[ref: ...]).
Page (@com.example.wiki): Title: Indentation Lead >> Indentation is used in different languages to express structure. [ref: r1] Sections: Section: Heading: Use in textual formats Content >> Some formats rely on indentation to represent hierarchy. [ref: r1] Others use it only as a visual style. References: Reference: Id: r1 Title: Indentation style guide (example) Author: Example Org Year: 2024 Url: https://example.com/indentation
Example 5 — References with an editorial “note”
Sometimes a reference needs context: why it is used or what it limits.
Since it is human text, it fits well in a >> block.
Page (@com.example.wiki): Title: Structured data Lead >> Infoboxes help summarize key information. [ref: r2] References: Reference: Id: r2 Title: Structured data overview (example) Url: https://example.com/structured-data Note >> Reference used only as an example of how to attach editorial notes to a source. In a real system, this would come from a references catalog.
Example 6 — Categories and maintenance
Wikipedia handles categories, maintenance templates, and “community metadata”. In STXT they can be represented as metadata sections, separated from the main content.
Page (@com.example.wiki): Title: Free software Lead >> Free software is software that respects users' freedom. Sections: Section: Heading: Definition Content >> It is often associated with licenses that allow use, study, modification, and distribution. Categories: Category: Software Category: Licenses Maintenance: Needs citations: true Last reviewed: 2025-11-01 Notes >> Marked for review because references are missing in the history section.
Example 7 — “Infobox” as real data
An infobox is basically an object with fields. In STXT it is represented as a subtree with clear names.
Page (@com.example.wiki): Title: Tomcat Infobox: Type: Software Name: Apache Tomcat Initial release: 1999 License: Apache License 2.0 Website: https://tomcat.apache.org Written in: Java Lead >> Apache Tomcat is a web container and HTTP server for Java applications. Sections: Section: Heading: Description Content >> It implements specifications such as Servlet and JavaServer Pages (JSP).
Example 8 — Infobox with lists and repeated values
Real infoboxes often have lists (for example, “authors” or “languages”). With STXT, repetitions are natural.
Page (@com.example.wiki): Title: Python Infobox: Type: Programming language Name: Python Designed by: Person: Guido van Rossum First appeared: 1991 Paradigms: Paradigm: Object-oriented Paradigm: Imperative Paradigm: Functional Typing discipline: Item: Dynamic Item: Strong Lead >> Python is an interpreted, high-level, general-purpose programming language.
Example 9 — Templates as reusable “blocks”
Wikipedia uses templates to reuse fragments (notices, boxes, etc.). In STXT, a “template” could be a structured node that the renderer interprets.
Page (@com.example.wiki): Title: Solar energy Lead >> Solar energy is the energy obtained from the Sun's radiation. Boxes: Box: Type: notice Title: Article in development Content >> This article is an example. The history section is incomplete. Box: Type: see-also Title: See also Items: Item: Title: Wind energy Page: Wind energy Item: Title: Hydroelectric energy Page: Hydroelectric energy
Example 10 — Content variants without breaking the tree
A typical challenge in a wiki is mixing:
- a table,
- a code block,
- and normal text,
without the format “fighting” with the structure.
In STXT, the direct way is to use >> blocks for literal content.
Page (@com.example.wiki): Title: TCP ports Lead >> TCP ports are used to identify services on a machine. Sections: Section: Heading: Well-known ports Content >> Simple table (literal text): Port | Service 80 | HTTP 443 | HTTPS 22 | SSH Section: Heading: Configuration example Content >> Example (literal text): Server: Port: 8080 Host: 0.0.0.0
Example 11 — Article with editorial “versioning”
Without assuming a specific system, editorial metadata can be included for auditing or change control.
Page (@com.example.wiki): Title: STXT Editorial: Status: Draft Last updated: 2026-01-11 Reviewed by: Person: Mery Adams Change log: Entry: Date: 2026-01-10 Summary: Added example of links and references Entry: Date: 2026-01-11 Summary: Reorganization of sections and infobox
Example 12 — Minimal template for wiki pages
If consistency is desired, it can be validated with a simple template. It does not force the “Wikipedia form”, it only defines a basic skeleton.
Template (@stxt.template): com.example.wiki Description: Minimal structure for wiki-type pages Structure >> Page: Title: (1) Infobox: (?) Lead: (1) TEXT Sections: (?) Section: (*) Heading: (1) Content: (1) TEXT Subsections: (?) Section: (*) Heading: (1) Content: (1) TEXT Links: (?) References: (?) Reference: (*) Id: (1) Title: (1) Url: (?) Note: (?) TEXT Categories: (?) Category: (*) Maintenance: (?) Editorial: (?)