/markdown-tutorial

A simple guide to learn Markdown with examples.

Markdown Tutorial

This tutorial will help you understand the basics of writing in Markdown with examples.

Table of Contents:

What is Markdown

Markdown is a lightweight markup language that you can use to add formatting elements to plain text documents. Created by John Gruber in 2004, Markdown has become one of the world’s most popular markup languages. (Markdown Guide)

Markdown can be used in various contexts to format text for the web. It is commonly used in README files, known for its simplicity and readability.

How to

Creating Headings

Use # symbols before your text to create headings. One # for h1, two ## for h2, etc., with a space following the symbols.

Examples:

  • This is an h3 heading created by writing ### This is an h3 heading created by ...

  • This is an h4 heading created by writing #### This is an h4 heading created by ...

  • This is an h5 heading created by writing ##### This is an h5 heading created by ...

Writing Normal and Plain Text

Simply type to add normal text without any special formatting.

Formatting Text with Italic and Bold

  • bold: write two asterisks before and after the word or sentence as **bold**.
  • italic: write one asterisk before and after the word or sentence as *italic*.

Making Lists

You can create both ordered and unordered lists.

  1. Unordered Lists

    At the beginning of the line, use an asterisk (*), plus symbol (+), or hyphen (-).

    Example:

    - list item
  - subitem

  2. Ordered Lists

    Number each item.

    Example:

    1. list item
2. list item 2
  1. subitem

Note:

  • Start a new line for each list item.
  • Add a space after the list marker.

Creating a Divider

Use three dashes ---, three underscores ___, or three asterisks *** to create a divider like the one above.

Writing Inline Code and Code Blocks

  1. Inline code: Use single backticks `` around the code. For example, This is inline code and here’s how to write it: cout << "Hello World!";

  2. Code Blocks To write a code block, use three backticks ``` before and after the code snippet. To specify the language, write it next to the first set of three backticks.

    Example:

    Code Block Example

    Output:

    int x = 0;
int y = 1;
cout << x + y;

Creating Tables

I prefer using an online generator or a plugin like Markdown Table Maker. At all tables are created using vertical bars | and hyphens - for headings.

Blockquotes

For blockquotes, simply add a > at the start of the line.

Hi, I am a blockquote made by this: > Hi, I am a blockquote made by this ...

Markdown Preview in VS Code

To view the output or result, press Ctrl + Shift + V, or click the Open Preview icon in the top right.

Best Markdown Plugins in VS Code

  • Markdown All in One - By: Yu Zhang
  • Markdown PDF - By: yzane
  • Learn Markdown - By: Microsoft
  • Markdown Table Maker - By: hellorusk