Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
(Kattni) For most of Python's history, the predominant option for documentation has been Sphinx and reStructuredText. However, a majority of other ecosystems have adopted Markdown. There are historical reasons for reStructuredText being a better choice, however, Markdown is now up to the task.
In this talk, you'll learn why Markdown is a better option for your project's documentation. You'll be introduced to MkDocs, a static site generator built around Markdown content, and a series of associated plugins and extensions that you need to bring Sphinx-like capabilities to Markdown documentation. You'll also hear a case study of migrating multiple large, existing Sphinx-based documentation bases to Markdown, including the tools used for automating the process. You'll learn how you can engage the community to assist with the effort. Finally, you'll learn why it's worth the effort to make a change of this magnitude.
https://2026.pycon.org.au/schedule/ZYSPB3/
python, pycon, australia, programming, conference, technical, developers, panel, sessions, libraries, frameworks, community, sysadmins, students, education, data, science
Videos licensed as CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0
PyCon AU is the national conference for the Python programming community, bringing together professional, student and enthusiast developers, sysadmins and operations folk, students, educators, scientists, statisticians, and many others besides, all with a love for working with Python.
Licensed as CC BY-NC-SA - creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Produced by Next Day Video Australia: https://nextdayvideo.com.au
Thu Aug 27 10:45:00 2026 AEST (UTC+10) at Ballroom 2
(Kattni) For most of Python's history, the predominant option for documentation has been Sphinx and reStructuredText. However, a majority of other ecosystems have adopted Markdown. There are historical reasons for reStructuredText being a better choice, however, Markdown is now up to the task.
In this talk, you'll learn why Markdown is a better option for your project's documentation. You'll be introduced to MkDocs, a static site generator built around Markdown content, and a series of associated plugins and extensions that you need to bring Sphinx-like capabilities to Markdown documentation. You'll also hear a case study of migrating multiple large, existing Sphinx-based documentation bases to Markdown, including the tools used for automating the process. You'll learn how you can engage the community to assist with the effort. Finally, you'll learn why it's worth the effort to make a change of this magnitude.
https://2026.pycon.org.au/schedule/ZYSPB3/
python, pycon, australia, programming, conference, technical, developers, panel, sessions, libraries, frameworks, community, sysadmins, students, education, data, science
Videos licensed as CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0
PyCon AU is the national conference for the Python programming community, bringing together professional, student and enthusiast developers, sysadmins and operations folk, students, educators, scientists, statisticians, and many others besides, all with a love for working with Python.
Licensed as CC BY-NC-SA - creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Produced by Next Day Video Australia: https://nextdayvideo.com.au
Thu Aug 27 10:45:00 2026 AEST (UTC+10) at Ballroom 2
