POD to Djot Converter
FileFlip converts POD to Djot entirely inside your browser, using Pandoc compiled to WebAssembly. The file is never uploaded to a server: it is read off your disk, converted on your own machine, and saved back by the browser. That means no file-size limit, no queue and no account.
How do I convert a POD file to Djot?#
- Drop your POD file onto the converter at the top of this page, or click it to pick one from your computer. You can add as many as you like.
- Leave the target set to Djot and the conversion starts on its own. FileFlip downloads 65.8 MB of WebAssembly the first time and nothing after that, then runs Pandoc on your own machine.
- Save the Djot file. Your browser writes it straight to your downloads folder, because there was never a server holding it.
Does converting POD to Djot lose quality?#
Not in the sense of pixels or samples. Converting POD to Djot rebuilds the file in Djot's own model rather than re-encoding it, so everything Djot can represent comes through exactly and anything it cannot has to be dropped. Expect the words to come through exactly and the page breaks to move.
Is it safe to convert POD files online?#
Yes, because nothing is uploaded. FileFlip converts POD files inside the browser tab you already have open, using WebAssembly builds of the same engines a desktop converter would install. Your file is read from your own disk into the page's memory, and no request carrying it is ever made.
You do not have to take that on trust. Open your browser's network panel, run a conversion, and you will see the engine come down and your file go nowhere. There is no upload, no server-side copy, no retention window, and no account tied to what you converted.
How FileFlip works lists every engine, its version and its download size, and shows how to check for yourself that nothing leaves your machine.
What POD to Djot actually does to the file#
Converting POD to Djot runs on Pandoc, downloads 65.8 MB of WebAssembly the first time and nothing after that, rebuilds the file in the target's own model, keeps selectable text and page layout.
| Engine | Pandoc |
|---|---|
| Conversion path | One step: POD → Djot |
| Downloaded to your browser | 65.8 MB, once, then cached by your browser |
| Quality | Rebuilt in the target's model |
| You get back | One file |
| Where it runs | In a background worker, so the page stays responsive |
What survives the conversion
| What is in the file | This conversion | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Selectable text | Kept | Carried through into the converted file. |
| Page layout | Kept | Carried through into the converted file. |
What is a POD file?#
A POD file holds Perl documentation written in Plain Old Documentation, the lightweight markup Perl scripts and modules embed directly in their source so perldoc, pod2man and pod2html can render it separately from the code.
Write documentation as POD when it's embedded inside a Perl module or script that ships to CPAN.
Convert POD to Markdown or HTML once its documentation needs to be read outside Perl's own toolchain, such as on a project website.
What is a Djot file?#
A DJ file holds a Djot document, a lightweight markup that reads like Markdown but is built on an unambiguous grammar, so it parses the same way in every implementation.
Write in Djot when Markdown's readability is wanted without its parsing ambiguities, and broad tool support isn't a requirement yet.
Convert Djot to another format when sharing with tools or people that only handle Markdown, HTML, or another mainstream format.
POD to Djot questions people ask#
What is a .pod file?
A .pod file holds standalone Perl documentation written in POD, the same markup Perl modules embed inline in their .pm source. A standalone .pod file is normal for tutorials and overview documents that aren't attached to one specific piece of code.
How do I read a POD file?
Running `perldoc file.pod` renders a POD file the way Perl's own module documentation appears, formatted and paged like a man page. Opened in a plain text editor, a POD file is still readable, since its markup is designed to make sense unformatted.
What's the difference between POD and Markdown?
POD is Perl's own documentation markup, built around a small set of command paragraphs (=head1, =item) and inline codes (B<>, C<>) with no nesting. Markdown is a general-purpose format with a larger feature set, which is why POD is usually converted to Markdown rather than the other way around when documentation needs to leave the Perl ecosystem.
What is a .dj file?
A .dj file is a Djot document, a lightweight markup language that looks like Markdown but parses under a stricter, unambiguous grammar. It was designed in 2022 by John MacFarlane, who also created Pandoc and co-authored the CommonMark specification.