What is platformengineering.mdx?

platformengineering.mdx is a text file that contains documentation about platform engineering written in MDX. MDX is a format that combines regular Markdown (the simple language used for writing web content) with JSX, a way to embed interactive React components directly in the text. The file name tells you it is about “platform engineering” and that it uses the .mdx extension.

Let's break it down

  • platformengineering: the subject of the document, i.e., the practice of building and maintaining the underlying systems (platforms) that developers use.
  • .mdx: the file extension. “.md” means Markdown, and the extra “x” adds the ability to include JSX code.
  • Inside the file you will typically see three parts: a front‑matter block (metadata like title and date), regular Markdown sections (headings, paragraphs, lists), and optional JSX components (buttons, diagrams, live code examples).

Why does it matter?

Because it lets technical writers and engineers create docs that are both easy to read and interactive. Readers can see live examples, click buttons, or view dynamic diagrams without leaving the page. It also keeps the documentation in plain text, so it works well with version control systems like Git, making changes trackable and collaborative.

Where is it used?

  • Documentation sites built with tools such as Docusaurus, Next.js, or Gatsby that support MDX.
  • Internal wikis for engineering teams that want richer content than plain Markdown.
  • Open‑source projects that need to show code snippets alongside live demos.
  • Any static‑site generator that can compile MDX into HTML for the web.

Good things about it

  • Simple syntax for regular text, so beginners can start writing right away.
  • Ability to embed React components, giving you interactive demos, charts, or custom UI.
  • Works with Git, so you get history, branching, and pull‑request reviews.
  • Consistent look and feel across a whole documentation site when combined with a theme.
  • Reusable components mean you can update a widget in one place and have it change everywhere.

Not-so-good things

  • Requires a build step (Node.js, bundlers) to turn MDX into a web page, which adds complexity.
  • You need to know a bit of JSX/React to use the interactive parts, which can be a learning curve for non‑developers.
  • Large MDX files can become hard to read if too many components are mixed with text.
  • Tooling can be finicky; mismatched versions of MDX, React, or the static‑site generator may cause build errors.
  • For very simple docs, the extra power of MDX may be unnecessary overhead.