Strict Mode Syntax

ZiraDocs Strict Mode provides a formal and structured syntax for defining presentations. It uses explicit keywords and follows rigorous validation rules, making it 100% predictable for parsers and analysis tools. This mode is ideal when you need maximum precision and control over your presentation structure.

When to Use Strict Mode

✅ Recommended for:

• Programmatic generation of presentations
• Teams requiring consistent structure
• Complex presentations with multiple layouts
• Integration with automated workflows
• Maximum parser predictability

❌ Consider Flex Mode instead for:

• Quick content authoring
• Markdown-familiar writers
• Simple presentations
• Rapid prototyping

Core Concepts

• Explicit declarations: Every presentation element is defined with a keyword
• Clear hierarchy: Presentation structure is defined through nesting and specific blocks
• Strict validation: The ZiraDocs parser verifies compliance with language rules, helping prevent errors
• Layout awareness: Built-in support for specialized slide types with validation

Essential Keywords

SLIDE

Defines a new slide with optional type or layout specification.

---
mode: strict
title: "My Presentation"
---

SLIDE title
  heading: "Welcome to ZiraDocs"
  subtitle: "Structured presentations made simple"
  logo: "assets/logo.png"

SLIDE content
  title: "Main Content Slide"
  // Content elements go here

Slide Properties:

For title slides:

• heading: Main title (alternative to title)
• subtitle: Presentation subtitle
• logo: Path to image file for logo

For all slides:

• title: Slide title

TEXT

Defines a paragraph text block with Markdown inline formatting support.

SLIDE content
  title: "Text Example"
  TEXT
    This is a paragraph with **bold text**, *italic text*, and `inline code`.

    You can include [links](https://example.com) and multiple lines.

POINTS

Defines a list of bullet points with automatic marker detection and nesting support.

SLIDE content
  title: "List Examples"
  POINTS
    - First point with dash
    - Second point
      - Nested sub-point
      - Another sub-point
    - Third main point

Supported List Types:

Bullet lists:

POINTS
  - Dash bullets
  * Asterisk bullets
  + Plus sign bullets

Numbered lists:

POINTS
  1. First item
  2. Second item
  3. Third item

Alphabetical lists:

POINTS
  a. First option
  b. Second option
  c. Third option

Mixed and nested lists:

POINTS
  1. Main process
     a. Sub-step A
     b. Sub-step B
  2. Second process
     - Important detail
     - Another detail

CODE

Defines a code block with optional language specification for syntax highlighting.

SLIDE content
  title: "Code Example"
  CODE python
    def hello_world():
        print("Hello, ZiraDocs Strict!")
        return "success"

Available languages: javascript, python, typescript, go, java, c++, sql, yaml, json, html, css, bash, and more.

IMAGE

Inserts an image with optional caption and alt text.

SLIDE content
  title: "Image Example"
  IMAGE "assets/chart.png" "Sales performance chart"
    caption: "Q4 2024 sales results showing 25% growth"

TABLE

Creates structured tables with headers and data rows.

SLIDE content
  title: "Data Table"
  TABLE
    headers: ["Product", "Q3", "Q4", "Growth"]
    rows: [
      ["Widget A", "$125K", "$156K", "+25%"],
      ["Widget B", "$89K", "$112K", "+26%"],
      ["Widget C", "$203K", "$234K", "+15%"]
    ]
    caption: "Product performance by quarter"

Advanced Elements

Charts and Visualizations

Create interactive charts using Chart.js integration:

SLIDE content
  title: "Sales Performance"
  <<chart: bar>>
    data: [
      ["Q1", 45, 32, 28],
      ["Q2", 52, 38, 35],
      ["Q3", 61, 45, 42],
      ["Q4", 73, 51, 48]
    ]
    series: ["Product A", "Product B", "Product C"]
    options:
      responsive: true
      plugins:
        title:
          display: true
          text: "Quarterly Sales by Product"

Supported chart types: bar, line, pie, doughnut, combo, radar, scatter

Diagrams with Mermaid

Create technical diagrams using Mermaid syntax:

SLIDE content
  title: "System Architecture"
  <<mermaid>>
    graph TD
        A[User] --> B[Frontend]
        B --> C[API Gateway]
        C --> D[Microservices]
        D --> E[Database]

Interactive Maps

Display maps with markers and geographic data:

SLIDE content
  title: "Global Presence"
  <<map>>
    type: world
    markers:
      - lat: 40.7128
        lng: -74.0060
        label: "New York"
        value: 45
      - lat: 51.5074
        lng: -0.1278
        label: "London"
        value: 38
    zoom: 2

Grid Layout

Arrange content in side-by-side columns with a <<grid>> block. Each <<column>> marker starts a new column; the grid closes with <<end>>. A column’s body is written verbatim (Markdown-style content — headings, lists, prose), and any lines before the first <<column>> become loose prose spanning the whole grid.

SLIDE content
  title: "Two-Column Layout"
  <<grid>>
  <<column>>
  ## Left column
  - point one
  - point two
  <<column>>
  ## Right column
  Prose content on the right.
  <<end>>

This is the strict-mode counterpart of the flex ::: grid / ::: column form — both produce the same grid structure. <<end>> terminates the grid, so any element after it (a TEXT, another block) is parsed independently.

Special Blocks

Create highlighted information blocks for different types of content:

SLIDE content
  title: "Important Information"

  :::info
  💡 **Information**
  This is an informational block for helpful tips.
  :::

  :::warning
  ⚠️ **Warning**
  This is a warning block for important notices.
  :::

  :::danger
  🚨 **Danger**
  This is a critical alert block.
  :::

  :::success
  ✅ **Success**
  This indicates successful completion.
  :::

  :::tip
  💡 **Pro Tip**
  Helpful advice for better workflow.
  :::

Specialized Layouts

ZiraDocs Strict includes built-in support for specialized slide layouts with automatic validation:

title - Title Slide Layout

SLIDE title
  heading: "Main Presentation Title"
  subtitle: "Descriptive subtitle"
  logo: "assets/logo.png"

content - General Content Layout

SLIDE content
  title: "Standard Content"
  TEXT
    Regular content with mixed elements.
  POINTS
    - First point
    - Second point

comparison - Side-by-Side Comparison

SLIDE comparison
  title: "Feature Comparison"
  :::info
    title: "Option A"
    content: "Features and benefits of first option"
  :::success
    title: "Option B"
    content: "Features and benefits of second option"

stats - Data and Statistics

SLIDE stats
  title: "Performance Metrics"
  TABLE
    headers: ["Metric", "Q3", "Q4", "Change"]
    rows: [
      ["Revenue", "$1.2M", "$1.8M", "+50%"],
      ["Users", "10K", "15K", "+50%"]
    ]

code_example - Technical Documentation

SLIDE code_example
  title: "API Implementation"
  TEXT
    Basic usage example:
  CODE javascript
    const api = new ZiraDocs.API();
    const result = await api.build('presentation.slidelang');

Layout Validation

ZiraDocs automatically validates that slide content matches its declared layout:

• comparison slides must have at least 2 comparable elements
• stats slides must include data tables, charts, or metrics
• code_example slides must contain at least one CODE block
• title slides must have heading or title defined (LAYOUT001)

If validation fails, the linter reports the specific rule that failed. Most layout rules are warnings, but a few are errors that stop the build — LAYOUT001 (title slide with neither heading nor title), LAYOUT004 (content slide with no elements) and LAYOUT008 (code_example slide with no code block) among them.

Variables and Templating

Use variables defined in your FrontMatter for dynamic content:

---
mode: strict
title: "Product Presentation"
variables:
  product_name: "SuperWidget"
  version: "v2.0"
  release_date: "Q2 2025"
---

SLIDE title
  heading: "Introducing {{product_name}} {{version}}"
  subtitle: "Available {{release_date}}"

SLIDE content
  title: "{{product_name}} Features"
  TEXT
    {{product_name}} includes powerful new capabilities in {{version}}.

Slide Structure Example

Here’s a complete example showing proper slide structure:

---
mode: strict
title: "Complete Presentation Example"
author: "ZiraDocs Team"
variables:
  app_name: "ZiraDocs"
---

SLIDE title
  heading: "Welcome to {{app_name}}"
  subtitle: "Structured presentations made simple"
  logo: "assets/logo.png"

SLIDE content
  title: "Key Features"
  TEXT
    {{app_name}} provides powerful features for creating professional presentations.
  POINTS
    - Explicit syntax for maximum control
    - Built-in validation and error checking
    - Support for complex layouts and elements
    - Interactive charts and diagrams

SLIDE code_example
  title: "Getting Started"
  TEXT
    Create your first slide with this simple syntax:
  CODE slidelang
    SLIDE content
      title: "My First Slide"
      TEXT
        Hello, world!

SLIDE stats
  title: "Usage Statistics"
  TABLE
    headers: ["Feature", "Adoption", "Satisfaction"]
    rows: [
      ["Basic slides", "100%", "95%"],
      ["Advanced layouts", "78%", "92%"],
      ["Interactive elements", "45%", "98%"]
    ]

Best Practices

1. Use descriptive slide titles - Every slide should have a clear, descriptive title
2. Choose appropriate layouts - Match your slide layout to your content type
3. Validate regularly - Run the linter frequently to catch issues early
4. Structure your content - Use logical hierarchy with headings and bullet points
5. Leverage variables - Use FrontMatter variables for repeated content
6. Test your presentations - Verify that advanced elements render correctly

Migration from Flex Mode

If you’re migrating from Flex Mode, here are the key differences:

Flex Mode	Strict Mode	Notes
# Title	SLIDE content title: "Title"	Explicit slide declaration
- List item	POINTS - List item	Explicit points block
Text paragraphs	TEXT block	Explicit text declaration
```code```	CODE block	Explicit code block
::: grid / ::: column	<<grid>> / <<column>> / <<end>>	Delimited grid block (see Grid Layout)

Next Steps

• Learn about Flex Mode for rapid content creation
• Explore FrontMatter for advanced configuration
• Check out Specialized Layouts for layout-specific features
• See Advanced Elements for charts, diagrams, and interactive content

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For more examples and use cases, see the examples directory in the ZiraDocs repository.