# AsciidocFX: turning one Asciidoc file into PDF, EPUB, HTML and DocBook > AsciidocFX is a JavaFX 21 WYSIWYG desktop editor for Asciidoc that exports to PDF, EPUB3, HTML and DocBook from a single source file. The latest tagged release is v1.8.10 from July 2024, and diagram extensions carry separate external dependencies including Graphviz and mermaid-cli. **asciidocfx/AsciidocFX** — Asciidoc Editor and Toolchain written with JavaFX 21 (Build PDF, Epub, Mobi and HTML books, documents and slides) - Repository: https://github.com/asciidocfx/AsciidocFX - Website: http://www.asciidocfx.com/ - Stars: 2,051 · Forks: 303 - Language: Java - License: Apache-2.0 - Published: 2026-10-09 · Updated: 2026-10-09 · Language: en - Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/asciidocfx-asciidocfx ## Single Asciidoc source built into PDF, EPUB3, HTML and DocBook AsciidocFX is a WYSIWYG desktop editor aimed at writers who need to produce more than one output format from a single Asciidoc source file. It targets Windows, Mac and Linux, and it runs on JavaFX 21, so no browser or web server is involved. A live preview panel runs alongside the markup, refreshing without a manual export step, which the project lists as its first feature. The four primary export targets are PDF, EPUB3, HTML and DocBook5. Those cover the main distribution scenarios for technical documentation: PDF for print or final-form delivery, EPUB3 for e-readers and self-publishing channels, HTML for web-based documentation sites, and DocBook5 as the XML interchange format expected by many publishers and documentation toolchains. All four come from the same Asciidoc source without switching tools or maintaining parallel source files. Mobi output is included in the project description alongside PDF, EPUB and HTML books. Epub Viewer is a separate feature from Epub output, implying the editor can open and display EPUB files as well as produce them, though no instructions for using that viewing mode appear in the documentation. Oracle awarded the project Duke's Choice Award in 2015, and a CHANGELOG.md file sits in the repository root. ## AsciidoctorJ handles most exports, with a DocBook-to-FOP alternative for PDF Conversion runs through AsciidoctorJ, the Java binding of the Asciidoctor library. HTML, EPUB3 and DocBook5 each follow a direct path through that library. PDF generation offers a choice: a direct path through AsciidoctorJ, or a multi-step route where the source converts to a DocBook intermediate and Apache FOP (Formatting Objects Processor) takes that intermediate to the final PDF. For the DocBook-to-FOP path, the documentation notes that it can be used alternatively but says nothing about what differs in the output compared to the direct AsciidoctorJ PDF route. Testing both against your own documents is the only way to compare them, since neither the README nor any other project documentation covers what differs between the two paths. HTML output follows the standard Asciidoctor HTML5 backend. A source code highlighter is among the listed features, meaning code blocks receive syntax coloring in the editor and in HTML output, but no information identifies which highlighter library is used. EPUB3 and DocBook5 naming is explicit about the version, so the output targets third-version epub and fifth-version DocBook rather than older variants. ## Installing via Homebrew on Mac or the archive on Linux AsciidocFX distributes binary packages for all three platforms. On Mac, Homebrew provides the simplest install: ```bash brew install --cask asciidocfx ``` A .dmg is also available for standard Mac, and a separate one labeled Mac M1 covers Apple Silicon. On Windows there is a .exe installer and a .zip archive. On Linux, three packages are available: a .tar.gz archive, a .deb for Debian-family systems, and a .rpm for Red Hat-family systems. Installing from the Linux archive involves four steps: ```bash $ tar –xvzf AsciidocFX_Linux.tar.gz $ cd AsciidocFX/bin $ chmod +X ./AsciidocFX $ ./AsciidocFX ``` All releases bundle AdoptOpenJDK JREs, so no separate Java installation is required and no licensing concern arises from the bundled runtime. The latest tagged release on GitHub is v1.8.10, dated July 5, 2024. The repository was last pushed on 2026-04-05. A header attribute in the README sets asciidocfx-version to 1.8.11 and uses it to construct download URLs throughout the page. No v1.8.11 release tag appears on the GitHub releases page, so those generated URLs may point to files that do not yet exist. Checking the releases page directly before downloading is the safer path. ## PlantUML needs Graphviz installed and GRAPHVIZ_DOT set before diagrams render PlantUML is the most capable of the diagram extensions. Eight UML diagram types fall within its scope: sequence, use case, class, activity, component, state, object and wireframe graphical interface. Diagram blocks in the source compile to image files that appear inline in the exported document, in either PNG or SVG format. Not all UML diagram types share the same rendering path. Those that depend on Graphviz will produce no output unless two conditions hold: Graphviz is installed on the host machine, and the GRAPHVIZ_DOT environment variable carries the path to the dot binary inside that installation. Missing either condition leaves those specific diagram types blank in the output, with no error message visible in the editor. Which specific types require Graphviz and which do not is not listed anywhere in the project documentation, so running a representative set of diagram blocks against a fresh setup is the safest way to confirm the configuration before relying on it in production. Ditaa is the second listed diagram extension. It converts ASCII art-style box and line diagrams into raster images. No setup instructions accompany the Ditaa mention beyond its appearance in the feature list, suggesting no external dependency is needed beyond the AsciidocFX installer itself. ## Mermaid is listed as experimental and requires a separate mermaid-cli installation Mermaid support is flagged as experimental in the feature list. Mermaid is a text-based diagramming tool with its own syntax, separate from both Asciidoc and PlantUML, for producing flowcharts and sequence diagrams. Unlike PlantUML, which is bundled within AsciidocFX and only needs Graphviz for some elements, Mermaid requires mermaid-cli, a separate Node.js package, on the host machine before any Mermaid diagrams will render. The README section on Mermaid was truncated before it finished, so the only visible setup guidance is that mermaid-cli has to be installed. No version requirement for mermaid-cli, no installation command and no configuration details are available from the documentation. The experimental flag combined with the external dependency makes Mermaid the least stable of the three diagram extension types that AsciidocFX lists. Asciidoc source files containing Mermaid blocks will produce no diagram output on any machine where mermaid-cli is absent. A team standardizing on the Mermaid extension needs to manage the Node.js dependency alongside the Java-based AsciidocFX installer on every machine in the workflow, and the experimental status means that behavior may change across releases. ## Reveal.js and Deck.js slide converters exist but lack setup notes in the README AsciidocFX lists two slide output formats: Reveal.js and Deck.js. Both are HTML-based presentation frameworks. Choosing either backend converts an Asciidoc source file into an HTML slide deck rather than a continuous document, though what that conversion requires from the source file is not described anywhere in the project documentation. No slide-specific Asciidoc syntax, configuration options for themes or transitions, or guidance on packaging the output appears in the README. The feature listing establishes that the export path exists; how to write a slide-oriented Asciidoc file comes from Asciidoctor's own documentation for these backends, not from AsciidocFX. For Reveal.js output, the exported HTML depends on the Reveal.js JavaScript library. Whether that library is bundled inside the exported file or fetched from an external server at presentation time is not stated. A presentation intended for an offline environment needs that question answered before relying on the export. No comparison between Reveal.js and Deck.js appears anywhere in the README to guide the choice between them. ## Table Generator, Epub Viewer, terminal emulator and Charts carry no usage documentation Several items in the feature list have no body text explaining how they work. The Table Generator is named without describing its interface, how it produces Asciidoc table markup, or what options it provides. Epub Viewer appears to be an integrated reading mode for EPUB files, but no instructions show how to open a file in it or what formats it accepts beyond what the name implies. The Pseudo Terminal Emulator is the most unusual feature for a document editor. A GIF in the README shows a terminal window running inside the application, but no text explains which shell it starts, how to invoke it, or what use case it serves within a document-editing workflow. External Browser Support is listed alongside it, implying the live preview can be directed to a browser of your choice rather than the built-in panel, with no configuration steps given. The JavaFX Charts Extension and the Filesystem Tree Extension also appear in the list without usage examples or syntax documentation. Nashorn support is the last unexplained entry: it refers to the JavaScript scripting engine that shipped with older Java versions, and no explanation is given for how it integrates with document authoring in a JavaFX 21 application. ## Conclusion AsciidocFX suits Asciidoc writers who need a live-preview desktop editor and want to export to several formats without a command-line build chain. Skip it if you need batch conversion from a CI pipeline; there is no documented headless mode. Before adopting it, download v1.8.10 from the GitHub releases page; the download links in the README reference the unreleased v1.8.11 and may not resolve. Set GRAPHVIZ_DOT to the Graphviz dot executable before opening any PlantUML diagram. The Mermaid extension is marked experimental and requires mermaid-cli installed separately. ## FAQ ### What output formats does AsciidocFX produce? AsciidocFX exports to PDF, EPUB3, HTML, DocBook5 and Mobi. For PDF there are two paths: a direct route through AsciidoctorJ, or an alternative route that first converts to DocBook and then uses Apache FOP. ### Does AsciidocFX require a separate Java installation? No. All releases bundle AdoptOpenJDK JREs, so no separate Java installation is required and there is no licensing concern for the bundled runtime. ### Does AsciidocFX support PlantUML diagrams? Yes. PlantUML is included and converts text-based UML blocks to PNG or SVG. Some diagram types require Graphviz installed separately, and GRAPHVIZ_DOT must point to the dot executable before those diagrams will render. ### Can AsciidocFX export slides? Yes. AsciidocFX includes converters for both Reveal.js and Deck.js, which produce HTML-based slide decks from an Asciidoc source. The README does not document the slide-specific syntax or configuration options for either framework. ### Is AsciidocFX still being developed? The repository was last pushed on 2026-04-05 and is not archived. The most recent tagged release is v1.8.10, dated July 5, 2024. ## Sources - [asciidocfx/AsciidocFX on GitHub](https://github.com/asciidocfx/AsciidocFX) - [License: Apache-2.0](https://github.com/asciidocfx/AsciidocFX/blob/master/LICENSE) - [Project website](http://www.asciidocfx.com/) - [README](https://github.com/asciidocfx/AsciidocFX/blob/master/README.md) - [Releases](https://github.com/asciidocfx/AsciidocFX/releases) --- Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/asciidocfx-asciidocfx