Markdown is a lightweight markup language that uses a plain-text format that allows it to be converted to several output formats, although the original Markdown tool supported only HTML.
The language was created by John Gruber and Aaron Swartz in 2004, who designed it to allow people to write in plain text, both easy-to-read and easy-to-write, which could be converted to valid HTML or XHTML. The chief goal in its design was for it to be readable as it is, without being marked up with tags or formatting instructions.
Markdown has since been reimplemented by others, particularly in open-source environments like GitHub and SourceForge, which use variants of Markdown to facilitate discussions between users.
Several Markdown implementations have been introduced, largely by people who desired additional features, such as tables, footnotes, and so on. Variants of Markdown include MultiMarkdown, GitHub Flavored Markdown, Pandoc, CommonMark, and Markdown Extra.
CommonMark was the result of a standardization effort led by John MacFarlane, Jeff Atwood, and others, beginning in 2012. Originally known simply as Markdown, Gruber objected to the project's use of the name, so it was renamed CommonMark.
In 2017, GitHub released a specification of an implementation of CommonMark that follows the CommonMark specification, except for tables, strikethrough, auto links, and task lists, which the GitHub specification added as extensions. Its implementation is known as GitHub Flavored Markdown.
Based on Markdown implemented in PHP, Python, and Ruby, Markdown Extra is a lightweight markup language that adds features such as markup within HTML blocks, elements with id/class attributes, fenced code blocks, tables, definition lists, footnotes, and abbreviations. Released in 2014, Markdown Extra is supported in content management systems (CMS) like Drupal, MediaWiki, and TYPO3.
There are implementations of Markdown for more than a dozen programming languages, as well as for every major blogging platform.
The original implementation of Markdown, as well as any subsequent implementations, are appropriate for this category, as well as any websites whose topics are focused on Markdown.
Recommended Resources
CommonMark is an implementation of Markdown, which had been created by John Gruber and Aaron Swartz in 2004. As the original Markdown does not specify the syntax unambiguously, several divergent implementations were created over a ten-year period, and CommonMark was designed to serve as an unambiguous standard for Markdown languages. Its origins are put forth, including acknowledgments of those who took part in it and links to other CommonMark resources.
https://commonmark.org/
Daring Fireball Company: Markdown
Available under a BSD-style open-source license, Markdown is free software. The text-to-HTML conversion tool for web writers allows users to write using an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain-text format, which is then converted to structurally valid HTML or XHTML. The people who have contributed significantly to the creation of Markdown are acknowledged, and basic instructions, as well as the syntax of the language, are described on John Gruber’s site, along with sponsorships.
https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/
Licensed as free and open source under the MIT License, Dillinger is a browser-based HTML5 Markdown editor that is cloud-enabled and mobile-ready, providing offline storage of projects. When the user types some Markdown in the left column, the corresponding HTML appears in the right, offering immediate feedback. Files may also be imported from GitHub, DropBox, or Google Drive, as well as dragged and dropped into Dillinger, then exported as Markdown, HTML, or PDF.
https://dillinger.io/
Hosted on GitHub, and available as a free download, CommonMark.NET is an implementation of the CommonMark specification in C# designed for converting Markdown documents to HTML. The current version of the library is also available on NuGet. Its usage, installation, and compatibilities are put forth. Comparisons with other implementations are made, along with reliability, and references. Contributors to the repository are acknowledged, and files may be cloned or downloaded.
https://github.com/Knagis/CommonMark.NET/
The free and open-source reference guide describes how to use Markdown, the simple-to-use markup language that can be used to format nearly any document. Featured is a guide to getting started with Markdown, instructions on Markdown syntax, as well as an extended syntax guide to creating tables, fenced code blocks, automatic links, and other features. A Markdown cheat sheet includes a quick overview of all of the elements of Markdown syntax, basic and extended.
https://www.markdownguide.org/
Created for the purpose of using Markdown to write an email, Markdown Here is available for free as an open-source project, with extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Thunderbird, and Postbox. Users can write an email in Markdown, then click a button or context menu item to render the email into fully-formatted HTML text. A sandbox is available to allow viewers to test it out in their browser. It may also be downloaded or installed for free. A features page and instructions are included.
https://markdown-here.com/
MP is a full-featured Markdown editor for Windows that includes LivePreview, which shows the user exactly what a document will look like every time they press a key. Fonts, color schemes, layouts, and stylesheets are 100% customizable, and Markdown formatting can be applied or removed with handy keyboard shortcuts and toolbar buttons. Users may also use custom stylesheets to change the look of HTML documents, using a built-in CSS editor. The editor may be purchased online.
http://www.markdownpad.com/
Markdown is a way of writing content for the web, which can be easily shared between computers, mobile phones, and people. The online tutorial is interactive, in that it uses a browser playground, allowing users to complete lessons online, beginning with the easiest lessons and progressing to more complicated instructions. Upon the successful completion of one lesson, the user progresses to the next. Likewise, basic concept sections progress to advanced sections.
https://www.markdowntutorial.com/
CommonMark.py is a pure Python port of Jgm’s CommonMark.js, an operating system-independent Markdown parser, and renderer for the CommonMark specification that uses only the native modules. Project description and release history are published, and the files are available for download through the BSD License. The authors and maintainers are identified, along with installation instructions, information on usage, running tests, and code examples are put forth.
https://pypi.org/project/commonmark/
Created by R Studio Connect, R Markdown allows users to create fully reproducible documents, using a productive notebook interface to combine narrative text and code to produce correctly formatted output. Supporting dozens of static and dynamic output formats, including HTML, PDF, MS Word, Beamer, Tufte-style handouts, books, dashboards, scientific articles, websites, and others. Users can publish and schedule reports, enable self-service customization and distribute emails.
https://rmarkdown.rstudio.com/
