What It Is – What It Is NOT?
JML (JSON-Inspired Markup Language) is an innovative markup language inspired by JSON structure and DSL, designed for Ascoos OS and the modern web.
Its goal is to provide a lightweight, secure, and easy-to-use alternative to traditional HTML, with emphasis on AI-compatibility, decentralization (Web5), and minimal syntax.
In Summary
It IS
It Is NOT
JML vs HTML – Comparison 2026
| Feature | JML | HTML5 |
|---|---|---|
| Size (Hello World minified) | 64 chars | 108 chars |
| With meta + viewport | 177 chars | 212 chars |
| Average reduction | 16–40% | – |
| Boilerplate | None | DOCTYPE, head, body... |
| XSS Security | Safe (AST) | Depends |
| Executable logic (macros) | Yes | No |
| Encryption | Yes (WIC) | No |
| Browser native | No (extension) | Yes |
AST – The Heart of JML
JML is not markup. It is a DSL with native AST – the markup of 2030, today.
It enables semantic macros, transformations, debugging, and security without XSS.
Example AST structure – enables validation, macros & secure rendering
Try JML Now
html {
head {
meta:charset('UTF-8')
link:rel('stylesheet'),href('https://cdn.ascoos.com/bootlib/css/bootlib.min.css')
}
body:class('dark-theme') {
h1{`Welcome to JML!`}
p{`Lightweight markup for Ascoos OS.`}
}
}
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.ascoos.com/bootlib/css/bootlib.min.css">
</head>
<body class="dark-theme">
<h1>Welcome to JML!</h1>
<p>Lightweight markup for Ascoos OS.</p>
</body>
</html>
JML (left) produces exactly the same HTML (right) – with 17% fewer characters.
JML Studio and Generated Helper Code
TAG html
TAG head
TAG meta CHARSET 'UTF-8'
TAG link REL 'stylesheet' HREF 'https://cdn.ascoos.com/bootlib/css/bootlib.min.css'
TAG body CLASS 'dark-theme'
TAG h1
TEXT 'Welcome to JML!'
TAG p
TEXT 'Lightweight markup for Ascoos OS.'
{
"type": "group",
"name": null,
"value": null,
"attributes": [],
"children": [
{
"type": "tag",
"name": "html",
"value": null,
"attributes": [],
"children": [
{
"type": "tag",
"name": "head",
"value": null,
"attributes": [],
"children": [
{
"type": "tag",
"name": "meta",
"value": null,
"attributes": [
{
"type": "attribute",
"name": "charset",
"value": "UTF-8",
"attributes": [],
"children": []
}
],
"children": []
},
{
"type": "tag",
"name": "link",
"value": null,
"attributes": [
{
"type": "attribute",
"name": "rel",
"value": "stylesheet",
"attributes": [],
"children": []
},
{
"type": "attribute",
"name": "href",
"value": "https://cdn.ascoos.com/bootlib/css/bootlib.min.css",
"attributes": [],
"children": []
}
],
"children": []
}
]
},
{
"type": "tag",
"name": "body",
"value": null,
"attributes": [
{
"type": "attribute",
"name": "class",
"value": "dark-theme",
"attributes": [],
"children": []
}
],
"children": [
{
"type": "tag",
"name": "h1",
"value": null,
"attributes": [],
"children": [
{
"type": "content",
"name": null,
"value": "Welcome to JML!",
"attributes": [],
"children": []
}
]
},
{
"type": "tag",
"name": "p",
"value": null,
"attributes": [],
"children": [
{
"type": "content",
"name": null,
"value": "Lightweight markup for Ascoos OS.",
"attributes": [],
"children": []
}
]
}
]
}
]
}
]
}
Both generated formats, the DSL (left) and the AST (right), are structured for WebAI usage.
Server-Side Rendering
<?php
/**
* @ASCOOS-NAME : Ascoos OS
* @ASCOOS-VERSION : 1.0.0
* @ASCOOS-SUPPORT : support@ascoos.com
* @ASCOOS-BUGS : https://issues.ascoos.com
*
* @CASE-STUDY : jml_to_html_renderer.php
* @fileNo : ASCOOS-OS-CASESTUDY-SEC00268
*
* @desc Parses JML syntax into HTML using THTML, generates full page from nested structure.
*
* @since PHP 8.2.0
*/
declare(strict_types=1);
use ASCOOS\OS\Kernel\HTML\THTML;
use ASCOOS\OS\Kernel\Files\TFilesHandler;
$properties = [
'output' => './generated_page.html'
];
try {
$html = new THTML();
$files = new TFilesHandler();
// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// JML as string.
// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
$jmlString = <<<'JML'
html:lang('en') {
head {
meta:charset('UTF-8')
meta:name('viewport'),content('width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0')
title {`Advanced Sample Page`}
style {
`.container {
max-width: 1200px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 20px;
background-color: #f4f4f4;
}
.header {
text-align: center;
color: #333;
padding: 10px;
border-bottom: 2px solid #000;
}
.form-group {
margin-bottom: 15px;
}
.form-group label {
display: block;
font-weight: bold;
}
.form-group input, .form-group select {
width: 100%;
padding: 8px;
margin-top: 5px;
}`
}
script {
`function validateForm() {
let name = document.getElementById("name").value;
let email = document.getElementById("email").value;
if (name === "" || email === "") {
alert("Please fill out all fields!");
return false;
}
return true;
}`
}
}
body {
div:class('container') {
div:class('header') {
h1 {`Welcome to Ascoos OS Demo`}
p {`This is a complex demo with nested elements and interactivity.`}
}
div:class('content') {
h2 {`User Registration`}
form:onsubmit('return validateForm()'),method('POST'),action('/submit') {
div:class('form-group') {
label:for('name') {`Name:`}
input:type('text'),id('name'),name('name'),required('')
}
div:class('form-group') {
label:for('email') {`Email:`}
input:type('email'),id('email'),name('email'),required('')
}
div:class('form-group') {
label:for('country') {`Country:`}
select:id('country'),name('country') {
option:value('us') {`United States`}
option:value('gr') {`Greece`}
option:value('de') {`Germany`}
}
}
button:type('submit') {`Submit`}
}
br
div:class('footer') {
p {`© 2025 Ascoos OS. All rights reserved.`}
br
a:href('https://ascoos.com') {`Visit our site`}
}
}
}
}
}
JML;
$fullHtml = $html->fromJMLString($jmlString);
$output = '' . $fullHtml;
$files->writeToFileWithCheck($output, $properties['output']);
echo "JML Parsed! Generated HTML:\n";
echo $output . "\n";
echo "Saved to: " . $properties['output'] . "\n";
$html->Free();
$files->Free();
} catch (Exception $e) {
echo "Error: " . $e->getMessage() . "\n";
}
?>
With the PHP renderer, it generates HTML on-the-fly for dynamic sites without boilerplate.
Ascoos JML Renderer – Browser Extension
Install the lightweight extension and transform any webpage into JML-ready: client-side rendering with zero dependencies!
Full JML documents
Renders <script type="text/jml"> as a complete HTML document.
Inline JML blocks
Embedded <jml> ... </jml> inside existing HTML.
Support for void & nested tags
br, hr, img, input + nested blocks, attributes, multiline text.
Pure JS – No dependencies
Works on any page (local/remote), Manifest V3 compatible.
The extension is lightweight (26 KB), collects no data, and works instantly – ideal for developers who want to experiment with JML without setup.
Roadmap
Frequently Asked Questions
Is JML compatible with existing browsers?
Yes, through a renderer that produces clean HTML5. No browser changes are required.
How does JML handle scripts and styles?
It supports inline scripts/styles and external links, with built-in escaping for security.
Can I use it with frameworks like React?
Yes, through JML → JSX conversion or direct parsing into custom components.