Introduction
Build reproducible data and AI pipelines with executable Markdown
Spry End-User Guide
Executable Markdown for QA Engineers, Data Scientists, and DevOps Engineers
What is Spry?
Spry is a lightweight TypeScript ecosystem that treats Markdown as a programmable medium. Instead of just documenting code, your Markdown becomes the code—every fenced block, section, and directive can execute, compose, and produce reproducible outputs.
Think of Spry as a bridge between documentation and execution. Your runbooks, data pipelines, and application logic live together in a single, human-readable Markdown file that can be versioned, reviewed, and executed like traditional code.
💡 Built for Modern Workflows
Spry is especially powerful for QA engineers building audit-ready test cases, data scientists creating reproducible analyses, and DevOps teams maintaining executable runbooks.
Key Features
Executable Markdown
Transform code blocks into executable cells with support for Bash, SQL, TypeScript, Python, and more.
Task Dependencies
Automatic dependency resolution with DAG-based orchestration ensures tasks run in the correct order.
SQLPage Integration
Build complete database-driven web applications with automatic routing and navigation.
Audit-Ready Evidence
Capture execution results as verifiable artifacts for compliance frameworks like CMMC, SOC2, and ISO 27001.
Executable Markdown
Every fenced code block in your Markdown can be executed as a task. Spry understands multiple languages and can run shell scripts, SQL queries, TypeScript code, and more—all from within your documentation.
```bash cleanup --descr "Remove old build artifacts"
rm -rf dist/ build/
```Task Dependencies
Define dependencies between tasks to create complex workflows. Spry automatically resolves the execution order and can run independent tasks in parallel.
```bash test --dep build
npm test
```
```bash deploy --dep test
./deploy.sh production
```SQLPage Integration
Spry has first-class support for SQLPage, allowing you to define entire database-driven web applications in a single Markdown file. Define your schema, queries, and UI components all in one place.
Audit-Ready Evidence
Capture task execution results as JSON artifacts with timestamps and metadata. Perfect for compliance documentation and automated testing scenarios.
Use Cases
Policies as Code
Create verifiable test cases for compliance frameworks with automated evidence capture.
Data Applications
Build SQLite or PostgreSQL-backed dashboards with SQLPage integration.
Executable Runbooks
Automate DevOps workflows with pre-flight checks, deployments, and rollbacks.
Reproducible Research
Document data science workflows that can be re-executed with guaranteed reproducibility.
Core Philosophy
Spry embraces three core principles:
- Documentation as Code: Your Markdown files are both documentation and executable programs
- Reproducibility: Every execution can be reproduced with the same inputs and environment
- Progressive Enhancement: Start with simple scripts and progressively add structure, dependencies, and metadata
Spry works seamlessly with version control systems like Git, making it easy to track changes to your executable documentation over time.
Supported Platforms
- macOS (Intel & Apple Silicon)
- Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, and other distributions)
- Windows (x64)
How is this guide?
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