The AsciiDoc distribution includes a source filter for highlighting code syntax.

DocBook Outputs

AsciiDoc encloses the source code in a DocBook programlisting element and leaves source code highlighting to the DocBook toolchain (dblatex has a particularly nice programlisting highlighter). The DocBook programlisting element is assigned two attributes:

  1. The language attribute is set to the AsciiDoc language attribute.

  2. The linenumbering attribute is set to the AsciiDoc src_numbered attribute (numbered or unnumbered).

HTML Outputs

You have the choice of three HTML source code highlighters, your selection is determined by the source-highlighter attribute (defaults to source-highlight):

Note
 Set the source-highlighter attribute from the asciidoc(1) command-line or in the document header (not in the document body, because the configuration file conditional macros are processed at load time).

GNU Source Highlight

The default highlighter is the GNU source-highlight which can highlight html4, html5 and xhtml11 outputs. The GNU source-highlight must be installed and the source-highlight command must reside in the shell search PATH.

Highlight

You can use Highlight syntax highlighter for xhtml11, html5 and html4 outputs (set the source-highlighter attribute to highlighter).

  • The highlight command must reside in the shell search PATH.

  • To make Highlighter your default highlighter put the following line your ~/.asciidoc/asciidoc.conf file: 

    source-highlighter=highlight

  • The AsciiDoc encoding attribute is passed to Highlighter using the --encoding command-line option.

Pygments

The Pygments syntax highlighter can be used for xhtml11 and html5 outputs (set the source-highlighter attribute to pygments).

  • The pygmentize command must reside in the shell search PATH.

  • You can customize Pygments CSS styles by editing ./stylesheets/pygments.css. The pygments.css CSS file was generated with: 

    from pygments.formatters import HtmlFormatter
print HtmlFormatter().get_style_defs('.highlight')

  • To make Pygments your default highlighter put the following line your ~/.asciidoc/asciidoc.conf file: 

    source-highlighter=pygments

  • The AsciiDoc encoding attribute is passed to Pygments using the -O command-line option.

Block attributes

The following attributes can be included in source code block attribute lists.

  • style and language are mandatory.

  • style, language and src_numbered are the first three positional attributes in that order.

  • The args attribute allows the inclusion of arbitrary (highlighter dependent) command options.

style

Set to source.

language

The source code language name.

Note
 The language names vary between highlighters — consult the selected highlighter manual.
src_numbered

Set to numbered to include line numbers.

src_tab

Set tab size (GNU source-highlight only).

args

Include this attribute value in the highlighter command-line (HTML outputs) or in the programlisting element (DocBook).

Testing

Test the filter by converting the test file to HTML with AsciiDoc:

$ asciidoc -v ./filters/source/source-highlight-filter-test.txt
$ firefox ./filters/source/source-highlight-filter-test.html &

Examples

Source code paragraphs

The source paragraph style will highlight a paragraph of source code. These three code paragraphs:

[source,python]
if n < 0: print 'Hello World!'

:language: python

[source]
if n < 0: print 'Hello World!'

[source,ruby,numbered]
[true, false].cycle([0, 1, 2, 3, 4]) do |a, b|
    puts "#{a.inspect} => #{b.inspect}"

Render this highlighted source code:

if n < 0: print 'Hello World!'
if n < 0: print 'Hello World!'
    1: [true, false].cycle([0, 1, 2, 3, 4]) do |a, b|
    2:     puts "#{a.inspect} => #{b.inspect}"

Unnumbered source code listing

This source-highlight filtered block:

 [source,python]
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 ''' A multi-line
     comment.'''
 def sub_word(mo):
     ''' Single line comment.'''
     word = mo.group('word')   # Inline comment
     if word in keywords[language]:
         return quote + word + quote
     else:
         return word
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Renders this highlighted source code:

''' A multi-line
    comment.'''
def sub_word(mo):
    ''' Single line comment.'''
    word = mo.group('word')     # Inline comment
    if word in keywords[language]:
        return quote + word + quote
    else:
        return word

Numbered source code listing with callouts

This source-highlight filtered block:

 [source,ruby,numbered]
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
 # Useful Ruby base class extensions.
 #

 class Array

   # Execute a block passing it corresponding items in
   # +self+ and +other_array+.
   # If self has less items than other_array it is repeated.

   def cycle(other_array)  # :yields: item, other_item
     other_array.each_with_index do |item, index|
       yield(self[index % self.length], item)
     end
   end

 end

 if $0 == __FILE__                                 # <1>
   # Array#cycle test
   # true => 0
   # false => 1
   # true => 2
   # false => 3
   # true => 4
   puts 'Array#cycle test'                         # <2>
   [true, false].cycle([0, 1, 2, 3, 4]) do |a, b|
     puts "#{a.inspect} => #{b.inspect}"
   end
 end
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------

 <1> First callout.
 <2> Second callout.

Renders this highlighted source code:

    1: #
    2: # Useful Ruby base class extensions.
    3: #
    4:
    5: class Array
    6:
    7:   # Execute a block passing it corresponding items in
    8:   # +self+ and +other_array+.
    9:   # If self has less items than other_array it is repeated.
   10:
   11:   def cycle(other_array)  # :yields: item, other_item
   12:     other_array.each_with_index do |item, index|
   13:       yield(self[index % self.length], item)
   14:     end
   15:   end
   16:
   17: end
   18:
   19: if $0 == __FILE__                                 # <1>
   20:   # Array#cycle test
   21:   # true => 0
   22:   # false => 1
   23:   # true => 2
   24:   # false => 3
   25:   # true => 4
   26:   puts 'Array#cycle test'                         # <2>
   27:   [true, false].cycle([0, 1, 2, 3, 4]) do |a, b|
   28:     puts "#{a.inspect} => #{b.inspect}"
   29:   end
   30: end

  1. First callout.

  2. Second callout.

Tip

  • If the source language attribute has been set (using an AttributeEntry or from the command-line) you don’t have to specify it in each source code block.

  • You should place callout markers inside source code comments to ensure they are not misinterpreted and mangled by the highlighter.