Codex Format & Git Projects

Welcome to the Codex documentation. The ChapterWise Codex format is a powerful YAML-based specification for defining structured narrative projects, literary works, and content collections.

What is Codex?

Codex is a flexible, human-readable format for describing: - Multi-chapter books and manuscripts - Story series and collections - Literary analyses and commentary - Structured content hierarchies

ChapterWise supports two Codex formats:

• Full Codex (.codex.yaml or .codex.json) — For complex, hierarchical content with nested children, relations, and includes
• Codex Lite (.md) — For simple documents using standard Markdown with YAML frontmatter

Both formats can be version-controlled with Git and work seamlessly within the ChapterWise ecosystem.

Key Topics

Codex Format Specification

Codex Format Overview

Complete specification of the Codex v1.0 format including: - File structure and syntax - Metadata fields and attributes - Content organization patterns - Template variables and includes

Codex Format v1.2

Detailed v1.2 specification with examples: - Schema validation rules - Required and optional fields - Advanced features - Version migration - YAML vs JSON formats - Include mechanisms

Codex Lite (Markdown) New

A simplified format for Markdown files using YAML frontmatter: - Works with any .md file - Uses industry-standard YAML frontmatter - No nested children — flat structure only - Automatic title extraction from H1 headings - Flexible tag formats (comma-delimited or arrays) - Optional attributes for structured metadata - Perfect for notes, articles, and simple documents

Manuscript Format

Manuscript Format

Learn about ChapterWise's internal manuscript format: - How manuscripts are stored - JSON structure - Chapter organization - Metadata fields

Codex Tools

Explode Codex

Modularize your codex files for better collaboration: - Extract children into separate files - Automatic include directive generation - Type-based filtering - Auto-fix integration - Git-friendly workflows

Git Codex Projects

Git Projects Overview

Version control your narrative projects: - Git integration features - Repository structure - Collaboration workflows - Automated syncing

Index File Format

Master the Git Codex index format: - Project index structure - Multi-codex repositories - Navigation hierarchies - Build configurations

Best Practices

Optimize your Codex workflow: - Repository organization - Commit strategies - Branch management - Team collaboration

Examples

Real-world Codex examples: - Simple book projects - Series and collections - Complex hierarchies - Template libraries

Troubleshooting

Solve common issues: - Validation errors - Git sync problems - Template rendering - Format conversion

Why Use Codex?

Version Control

Track every change to your narrative project with Git. See what changed, when, and why.

Collaboration

Work with co-authors, editors, and reviewers using standard Git workflows.

Templating

Use powerful template features to generate content dynamically and maintain consistency.

Flexibility

Define complex structures with nested chapters, parts, and sections.

Portability

Human-readable YAML/JSON format works everywhere and never locks you in.

Getting Started with Codex

1. Choose your format:
2. Codex Lite — Start here for simple documents using Markdown
3. Full Codex — For complex hierarchies with nested children
4. See examples - Browse real-world examples
5. Create a project - Build your first Codex file
6. Connect to Git - Set up Git integration

Codex on ChapterWise

Access Codex features at codex.chapterwise.app: - Create and edit Codex projects - Preview rendered content - Validate format compliance - Sync with Git repositories - Generate exports

Ready to start with Codex? - For simple documents, start with Codex Lite (Markdown with frontmatter) - For complex hierarchies, read the Full Codex Format specification - Jump to Git Projects if you're ready to version control your work