Smart Codex Markup Language (SCML) Specification

Version 1.0.0
January 4, 2025

1. Overview

SCML is a markup language specialized for language learning and multilingual content creation. It features structured content, explicit grammatical elements, and multilingual support.

2. Document Structure

An SCML document consists of the following elements:

• Metadata
• Sections
• Language elements
• Grammatical elements
• Grouping

3. Metadata

Metadata defines document attributes.

• Syntax: %key{value}
• Multiple values: %key{value1 | value2 | value3}

Example:

%title{Irish Language Lesson 1}
%page{1}
%lang{ga | en | ja}
%description{This is the first lesson in learning the Irish language.}

4. Sections

Sections indicate content type and purpose.

• Syntax: #section_name
• Subsection syntax: ##subsection_name

Example:

#learn
#read
#answer

5. Language Elements

Specifies content in specific languages.

• Syntax: @language_code{content}
• Multiple languages: @lang1{content1} | @lang2{content2} | @lang3{content3}

Example:

@ga{Dia duit} | @en{Hello} | @ja{こんにちは}

6. Grammatical Elements

Marks sentence components explicitly.

Syntax: <tag>content</tag>

Common tags:

• <v>: verb
• <n>: noun
• <adj>: adjective
• <adv>: adverb
• <pp>: preposition
• <vn>: verbal noun
• <q>: question word

Example:

@ga{<v>Tá</v> <n>Seán</n> <pp>ag</pp> <vn>siúl</vn>.}

7. Grouping

Groups phrases and compound expressions.

Syntax: [grouped_elements]

Example:

@ga{<v>Tá</v> <n>Seán</n> [<pp>ag</pp> <vn>siúl</vn>].}

8. Numbered Lists

Use numbered lists within sections.

Syntax: number. content

Example:

#read
@ga{<v>Tá</v> <n>Seán</n> [<pp>ag</pp> <vn>siúl</vn>].}
@en{Sean is walking.}
@ja{ショーンは歩いています。}

9. Comments

Comments provide annotations within documents.

Syntax: <!-- comment -->

Example:

<!-- This is a note for learners -->

10. Escaping

Use backslash to escape special characters.

Example:

@en{This is how you write \<v\> in SCML.}

11. Extensibility

SCML is extensible with new tags and attributes. However, they must be clearly defined before use to maintain consistency.

12. Best Practices

• Add appropriate comments for complex structures
• Use ISO 639-1 standard for language codes
• Place metadata at the beginning of documents
• Arrange sections in logical order

This specification outlines the basic structure and usage of SCML. Implementation may include further extensions and adjustments to meet specific needs.