reading-notes

Learning Markdown Formatting Language

Why Use Markdown?

First off, it helps to understand what Markdown is. Created in 2004 by John Gruber, Markdown was designed to be a simplified markup language that allows users to easily create and format text, websites, and documents. It carries a huge upside in that it’s cross compatible with many different applications, further increasing it’s utility. Markdown also works the same whether you have a Windows, Mac, or Linux operating system. Due to it’s lightweight nature, ease of use, and interoperability features, it’s no wonder why Markdown is such an obvious choice for coders to use.

Working With Markdown

At this point you might be wondering, “So what can I do with Markdown?” Well, let’s take a peak at some editing commands!

• If you want to create a heading in Markdown you simply type “ # “ then add your text. More “ # “ signs mean smaller headings with “ ###### “ being the smallest possible heading and “ # “ being the largest possible heading.
• Say you want to emphasize something, you’d likely want bold or italicised wording to convey this. Bold would be achieved by using “ ** ** “ or “ __ __ “ while italics would be displayed by typing “ * * “ or “ _ _ “ .
  Please note: Due to possible application inconsistencies, it’s best practice to use asterisks as opposed to underscores.
• What would a good page be without links? To create a link you have mulitiple options. One way is to wrap the link text in brackets like this, “ [ ] “ and then using parentheses “ ( ) “ around the URL. You can also use Ctrl + K on Windows or Command + K on Mac.
• If you want to create a bulleted list you can use the symbols “ - “, “ * “, or “ + “.

Final Thoughts

In summation, Markdown is a user friendly formatting language that has earned its place as a simple yet effective tool for the web developer, note taker, and blogger alike. Now that you’ve learned some commonly used commands, go take Markdown for a spin and experience it for yourself!