What is Markdown and how to use it

What is Markdown

Markdown - text markup language created by writer and blogger John Gruber. It is designed to create a beautifully decorated traditional text format TXT files. You do not need bulky processors like Word or Pages, to create documents with bold or italic, quotes, links, and even spreadsheets. It is enough to remember the simple Markdown rules, and you can even write in the "Notepad". Although specialized Markdown-editors, of course, much easier.

This markup language used by bloggers, writers, editors and journalists around the world. All those who in any way associated with the above professions will be useful to know about it.

Where can I use Markdown

Notes

Markdown editor with the file panel (e.g., Atom or iA Writer) - this is quite a worthy alternative Evernote and OneNote. We already wroteWhy Markdown is good for organizing your notes database.

Drafts Blog

This markup language compatible with a bunch of online editors and blog platforms. You can write a draft for your blog in Markdown's, and then publish it in seconds - all the links, headings and formatting will look the way you intended. This is not a copy of the Word.

task lists

In Markdown-editors to easily create shopping lists, cases and work assignments. Some geeks are using a plain text file todo.txt as an alternative fashion Wunderlist and Todoist. How to do this can be found on the website Todo.txt.

messengers

Even some messengers support Markdown. For example, in the Telegram, you can use it to apply bold or italic selection.

advantages of Markdown

Versatility

Documents written using Markdown syntax are ordinary text files TXT. They can be opened on any platform and in any editor. In this way they compare favorably with files created in word processors. Tried to open a document from Apple Pages to Word?

Simplicity

Markdown is so simple that it can in 10 minutes to master, even those who have not heard about all these your Latex and HTML. Gratings for subtitles, stars to highlight dash for lists. Simply can not be.

Large selection of tools

Editors to work with Markdown documents very, very much. There are also online, and mobile, and desktop tools. There are monstrous Atom, beautiful and minimalistic ghostwriter and iA Writer, Vim for geeks and Ulysses for professional writers. I choose not want.

Convertibility

Markdown documents easily export in all formats: PDF, DOC, ODT. However, their format remain unchanged.

disadvantages Markdown

the limitations of the format

Since Markdown documents are simply text files, beautiful fonts, they will not apply. Still, it is rather a tool for writing drafts than to complete the layout.

Strict rules

In Markdown text drawn up by official symbols. One extra mark * or #, and formatting changes. So when typing in Markdown will have to be careful.

The basic syntax

Markdown in texts drawn up by the special characters that are inserted before or after the words or phrases. Here are the simple rules that work across all editors.

headlines

Making headlines in Markdown is extremely simple. All you need to remember - the symbol #He is grating, aka hash. heading level is determined by the number of grids in it, all of them can be six. It looks like this:

# Title H1
## Heading H2
### Heading H3
#### Heading H4
##### Title H5
###### Title H6

Text

In addition to the titles, Markdown support and easy formatting text. It can be made italic or bold using asterisks and underscores:

*Italics* And _Italics_
**ThumbnailAnd ** __Thumbnail__
***Bold and italic text***

quotations

Sometimes a certain paragraph you want to select as a quote. In this case, use the sign>. It must be placed in front of every line quotes.

> Very thoughtful quote. Please read it carefully.
>
> Oscar Wilde

Bulleted and numbered lists

Markdown allows you to create lists with any level of nesting. Bulleted lists are made by using a hyphen, placed in front of each item:

- First point.
- The second point.
- The third point.

Numbered lists are created in the same way, but using numbers:

1. First point.
2. Second item.
3. The third point.

It can be formulated and mixed lists with unlimited nesting. To do this, press Tab once or twice in the space.

1. First point.
- first subparagraph.
- The second subparagraph.
- The third subparagraph.
2. Second item.
- first subparagraph.
- The second subparagraph.
- The third subparagraph.

horizontal lines

Just enter three times (or more) of these symbols on the keypad: *, -, or _ and in a document insert a horizontal line. If the above line above it stands still some textHe will headline the first level. Line can be used to split large chapters of the document.

***

___

Links and images

In your documents, you can insert and links to pages on the Internet. This is done like this: [zagolovok_ssylki] (sama_ssylka):

[Layfhaker] (lifehacker.ru)

Similarly, in the inserted document and images. Put an exclamation point to the signature image in square brackets and the reference to it in parentheses. You can include links to images both from the Internet and stored on the hard disk. Signature is optional. It looks as follows:

! [Signed] (ssylka_na_izobrazhenie)

Eskapirovannye symbols

Sometimes you need to insert into a document of any character that belongs to the syntax of Markdown. You type it, and formatting changes, even though you do not need it. In this case, before the technical symbols need to put a backslash - \.

Advanced syntax

Slightly more complex texts of design elements that can be used in the program, supported GFM (GitHub Flavored Markdown). GFM - an enhanced version of the conventional Markdown. There's a table, smiles, strikeout text and other stuff. GFM is used in the majority of editors.

Strikethrough text

Advanced Markdown GFM syntax allows crossed out text, enclose it in double tilde ~~.

~~Strikethrough text.~~

tables

If your editor supports GFM, then it is possible to create unpretentious table. For tables use the symbols | and -. More or less like this:

| time | two | three |
|:|:|:|
| time | two | three |

lists

In Markdown there is even a kind of task lists - similar checkboxes in OneNote or Evernote. Here's how they look:

- [] Failure to comply with the task
- [] Failure to comply with the task
- [X] Completed task

Emoji

The GFM has a few little things that you may find helpful when formatting text. For example, Emoji. To add a smiley, you want to print the appropriate code, and enclose it in the colon:

: Kissing_heart:

View Emoji codes can be here.

The code

Since GFM created for programmers, There is a special format for the chunks of code. Code is allocated by `, ie the grave accent. Surrounding a word or phrase gravis, you can create a line of code:

`Some very important kod.`

A three note gravis allow a block of code. Yet it is useful to highlight the whole paragraph.

```
A paragraph is very important code.
And another line.
And further.
```

Applications for Markdown

You can easily choose a favorite text editor from our collection. One of the best is considered to Markdown Atom - it is good for its incredible flexibility and versatility. Works in Windows, macOS and Linux and has a huge number of themes and extensions. From it's very simple to assemble dream editor.

macOS users should pay attention to the beautiful and comfortable editors iA Writer, Write and byword.

They are also available on iOS.

Android users access the same iA Writer, as well as a nice and minimalistic Jotterpad Monospace.

And those who do not want to install anything, can do Dillinger or StackEdit.