Md

(241 votes)

#### Understanding the Basics of Markdown Markdown, often abbreviated as Md, is a lightweight markup language that you can use to add formatting elements to plaintext text documents. Created by John Gruber in 2004, Markdown is now one of the world’s most popular markup languages. Using Markdown is different than using a WYSIWYG editor. In an application like Microsoft Word, you click buttons to format words and phrases, and the changes are visible immediately. Markdown isn’t like that. When you create a Markdown-formatted file, you add Markdown syntax to the text to indicate which words and phrases should look different. #### The Simplicity of Markdown Markdown is easy to use. Its syntax is so simple that even people with no experience in web development can learn it in a few minutes. This simplicity has led to a massive rise in the number of sites and apps that support the Markdown language. Markdown is also portable. Files containing Markdown-formatted text can be opened using virtually any application. If you need to share files with a colleague who doesn't have the same software that you do, Markdown is a great format to use. #### Markdown Syntax and Its Uses Markdown syntax is straightforward, comprising of punctuation and characters you're already familiar with. For instance, to create a heading, you use one or more # symbols before your heading text. The number of # you use will determine the size of the heading. To make a phrase bold, you wrap it in two asterisks, like this: bold. To make it italic, you wrap it in underscores, like this: _italic_. Markdown is used in many places on the web. Developers use it to document software, to maintain GitHub files, to write technical documentation, and more. It's also used by writers and bloggers who want a quick and easy way to write rich text, without having to take their hands off the keyboard, and without learning a lot of complicated codes and shortcuts. #### The Future of Markdown Markdown has a bright future. Its simplicity, along with the growing number of apps that support it, is helping it to become a mainstay for writers and coders alike. As more and more people are looking for efficient ways to write, Markdown is increasingly becoming a popular choice. In conclusion, Markdown is a simple yet powerful language that's easy to learn and use. Its syntax is intuitive and easy to read, which makes it a great choice for documentation. Whether you're a seasoned coder or a novice writer, Markdown has something to offer you.