Editing ReStructuredText (section)

== History ==
reStructuredText evolved from an earlier lightweight markup language called StructuredText<ref>{{cite web |title=zope.structuredtext Documentation  |url=https://zopestructuredtext.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ |website=Read the Docs |access-date=2022-08-16}}</ref> (developed by [[Zope]]). There were a number of problems with StructuredText, and reST was developed to address them.<ref>{{cite web
  | last = Goodger
  | first = David
  | title = Problems With StructuredText 
  | publisher = Docutils Project
  | date = 2016-05-24
  | url = https://docutils.sourceforge.io/docs/dev/rst/problems.html
  | access-date = 2022-08-16
}}</ref>
The name reStructuredText was chosen to indicate that reST is a "revised, reworked, and reinterpreted StructuredText."<ref>{{cite web
  | last = Goodger
  | first = David
  | title = Docutils FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
  | publisher = Docutils Project
  | date = 2016-02-26
  | url = http://docutils.sourceforge.net/FAQ.html#why-is-it-called-restructuredtext
  | access-date = 2016-10-05
}}</ref>

Parts of the reST syntax were inspired by the [[Setext]] language from the early 1990s. Elements of the common [[Email#Internet Message Format|RFC822 Internet Message Format]] and [[Javadoc]] formats were also considered for inclusion in the design.<ref>{{cite web
  |last = Goodger
  |first = David
  |title = A Record of reStructuredText Syntax Alternatives
  |publisher = Docutils Project
  |url = https://docutils.sourceforge.io/docs/dev/rst/alternatives.html
  |website = docutils.sourceforge.io
  |access-date = 2022-08-16
  |date = 2022-04-02
}}</ref>

reStructuredText was first released in June 2001.<ref name="rst-first-release">{{Cite web |title=Project: reStructuredText - File List |url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/structuredtext/files/restructuredtext/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011019081106/http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=7050 |archive-date=19 October 2001 |access-date=5 February 2023 |website=SourceForge}}</ref> It began to see significant use in the Python community in 2002.<ref>{{cite web 
  | title = Introduction to reStructuredText
  | publisher = Write The Docs
  | url = https://www.writethedocs.org/guide/writing/reStructuredText/
  | access-date = 2022-06-25
}}</ref>