Monk: A high-level text compiler

The monk document preparation system is a sophisticated set of computer programs that helps writers produce high-quality typeset output. It compiles high-level commands that appear in text into commands appropriate for a typesetting language. While monk is designed to simplify the preparation of documents, the main focus of our research has been the development of a new database language that facilitates the maintenance of precise, reusable typographic primitives. This article starts by providing a writer's view of a monk document and then presents the layout designer's view of the database hierarchy and composition. This separation of writer and designer views of document preparation is the keystone in the creation of attractive yet uniform documents.