xfpt is a program that reads a file of plain text that contains relatively simple markup, and outputs an XML file. It is intended to simplify the management of XML data. It is not a program that attempts to turn a plain text document into XML. Markup within text is introduced by ampersand characters, but is otherwise "soft". You can define what follows the ampersand, for example, &" to generate a "quote" element. There is also a macro facility that allows for higher level concepts such as chapters, displays, tables, etc.
Platypus is a full-featured and easy-to-use page layout and typesetting system.
Inspired by technologies such as TeX, Platypus adds new features and, especially, ease of use to the generation of documents of all kinds. It is particularly adept at listing code, and so is frequently used for documentation. Input consists of text files with embedded formatting commands. These files are converted by Platypus to PDF, HTML, or Microsoft Rich Text Format (RTF).
Platypus is written in Java and relies on the iText library. It is available at no charge under the Apache open-source license. For more information, see the links to the left.