Markdown
Simple, readable markup. The modern standard for documentation.
Basic Syntax
# H1 Heading
## H2 Heading
### H3 Heading
#### H4 Heading
**bold text**
*italic text*
~~strikethrough~~
`inline code`
[Link text](https://example.com)
Lists
# Unordered
- Item 1
- Item 2
- Nested item
# Ordered
1. First
2. Second
3. Third
# Task lists
- [x] Completed
- [ ] Not done
Code Blocks
# Inline
`code here`
# Block with syntax highlighting
```python
def hello():
print("Hello")
echo "Hello"
{"key": "value"}
---
## Tables
```markdown
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Data 1 | Data 2 | Data 3 |
| Data 4 | Data 5 | Data 6 |
# Alignment
| Left | Center | Right |
|:-----|:------:|------:|
| L | C | R |
Quotes & Blockquotes
> Single quote
> Quote line 1
> Quote line 2
>> Nested quote
Advanced
Footnotes
Text with footnote[^1].
[^1]: Footnote definition.
Horizontal Rule
---
***
___
Expandable Details
<details>
<summary>Click to expand</summary>
Hidden content here.
</details>
Common Flavors
| Flavor | Use | Features |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) | GitHub, GitLab | Task lists, strikethrough, tables |
| CommonMark | Standard, portable | Clean spec, widely supported |
| Markdown Extra | Advanced features | Footnotes, attributes |
| MultiMarkdown | Academic | Footnotes, citations, math |
Best For
- ✅ README files
- ✅ GitHub Pages
- ✅ Blog posts
- ✅ Documentation
- ✅ Static site generators (MkDocs, Docusaurus)
Tools
# Convert Markdown to HTML
pandoc input.md -o output.html
# Convert to PDF
pandoc input.md -o output.pdf
# Lint Markdown
markdownlint *.md
# Check links
markdown-link-check document.md
Pros ✅
- Simple, readable
- Version control friendly
- Fast to write
- Widely supported
- Converts to HTML, PDF, etc.
Cons ❌
- Limited formatting options
- No native tables in standard Markdown
- Can't extend without HTML
- No auto-linking
Pro Tips
Use semantic Markdown:
✅ Use `code` for variables
✅ Use **bold** for emphasis
✅ Use `[links](url)` for references
Organize large docs:
docs/
├── README.md
├── getting-started.md
├── guides/
│ ├── installation.md
│ └── configuration.md
└── api/
├── endpoints.md
└── examples.md
Add HTML when needed:
Regular markdown text.
<details>
<summary>Advanced topic</summary>
Details go here.
</details>
More markdown text.