Docklight Scripting v2.5 and the New Markdown Project Format

We are pleased to announce an alpha release of Docklight Scripting v2.5. This version introduces an "automation-first" approach designed for modern CI/CD and AI-assisted development environments. The main update in v2.5 is a new project/script/docs/settings format. It replaces the old multi-file system with a single text/Markdown file that is easy for both humans and AI to read, understand, create and modify.

The .docklight.md Project Format

Docklight Scripting v2.5 introduces a new integrated file format for project, script, documentation and options. It replaces the existing multi-file structure of existing projects with a single, human-readable and AI-generatable text file.

Key benefits of the new format include:

• Git and diff-friendly: text-based, .docklight.md files are fully compatible with Git, allowing for clear diffs and change tracking.
• AI Integration: The structured Markdown format is designed to be easily read and generated by Large Language Models (LLMs). A full plain text format specification is provided, enabling automated project and script creation directly from natural language.
• Portability: A single file now contains all Docklight communications settings, sequences, documentation, script code and special program options used for this application.
• Full backward/round-trip compatibility: Existing project and scripts can be loaded or saved in both new and old formats. A new command line option ( -o my-converted-project.docklight.md ) allows bulk conversion of existing project and script collections.

For technical details and usage overview, please see the \ScriptSamples\markdown\docklight-md-user-guide.md file included in the Docklight Scripting program directory.

The Docklight Scripting v2.5 alpha release is available for testing and feedback at:
Docklight Scripting V2.5 Preview - Download

New GitHub Repository for Examples

To complement the transition to documented, text-based project files, we have also created a public GitHub repository. This serves as a central hub for Docklight Scripting example projects and automation scripts. You can explore the collection here: github.com/KickdriveOliver/docklight

Deterministic and Secure

While we are embracing modern workflows, the core of Docklight Scripting remains what it has always been: a time-tested, stable, and closed-source engine with an inherently "sandboxed" scripting approach. In times where development toolchains are increasingly vulnerable to "poisoned" or unmanaged open-source dependencies, Docklight provides a secure and proven alternative.

It runs as deterministically today as it has for the past 20 years. This makes it a uniquely reliable choice for Windows CLI environments and professional CI/CD toolchains where "it just works" is a requirement, not a goal. You get the flexibility of AI-generated Markdown projects, backed by the absolute consistency of a legacy-proven codebase.

As we have done for almost 22 years, we have carefully tested this Docklight Scripting release for regressions to ensure that it continues to deliver the verifiable output you expect. We encourage you to let us know immediately if you notice anything that does not meet these standards. Or if there's simply a better way to do it.


Oliver Heggelbacher
- From the Docklight Developers -
www.docklight.de