Quill

Interactive notebooks for OCaml with a markdown-first philosophy.

Overview

Quill reimagines the notebook experience. Instead of complex JSON formats and cell-based interfaces, Quill notebooks are just markdown files with executable code blocks. This means:

• Version control friendly: Plain text files work perfectly with git
• Editor agnostic: Write in your favorite editor, execute anywhere
• Writing-first: Code flows naturally within your narrative
• Zero lock-in: Your notebooks remain readable markdown forever

Key Features

Markdown as Notebooks

Your notebooks are .md files where OCaml code blocks become executable cells:

# My Analysis

Let's analyze some data:

```ocaml
open Nx
let data = zeros float32 [|3; 3|]
```

The output appears below the code block.

Integrated with Raven

All Raven libraries are pre-loaded and ready to use:

• Create tensors with Nx
• Plot with Hugin
• Build models with Rune
• Process images with Sowilo

Multiple Execution Modes

CLI Mode: Execute notebooks from the command line

quill eval notebook.md

Server Mode: Interactive web interface for editing and execution

quill serve notebook.md

Watch Mode: Auto-execute on file changes

quill eval --watch notebook.md

Rich Output Display

• Tensors display as formatted arrays
• Plots render inline as images
• Errors are captured and displayed clearly
• Support for both value printing and stdout

Philosophy

Traditional notebooks force an awkward separation between narrative and code. You write text in markdown cells, then interrupt the flow to add code cells. The result feels more like a REPL transcript than a document.

Quill takes a different approach. Your notebook is a markdown document first, with code that enhances the narrative rather than interrupting it. This makes notebooks that are:

1. Natural to write: Focus on explaining your work, not managing cells
2. Pleasant to read: Even on GitHub or in a text editor
3. Simple to maintain: No hidden state or complex metadata

Getting Started

1. Create a notebook: Any .md file with OCaml code blocks
2. Run it: quill eval my_notebook.md
3. Share it: Commit to git, share on GitHub, publish anywhere

For interactive development:

quill serve my_notebook.md

Then open http://localhost:8080 in your browser.

Comparison with Jupyter

Learn More

• Getting Started - Create your first notebook