Basic Markdown style sheet
Markdown is a text-to-HTML conversion tool for web writers. Markdown allows you to write using an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text format that our system can convert to structurally valid XHTML (or HTML) for publishing online. We use a version called "Github Flavoured Markdown."
This guide is intended as a quick reference and showcase. For more info, see the Github-flavored Markdown info page. For a complete background on the tool, see John Gruber's original Markdown specification.
Note, users of Prose.io and Draftin.com also have built-in Markdown cheat-sheets in their writing environment.
## ParagraphsParagraphs are writen normaly, as you would write a letter or an email. Each paragraph starts on a new line, with an empty line between paragraphs, like this:
This is a new paragraph. It is a short one.
This is another new paragraph. It is a little bit longer, but not by much!
Headers are marked using an octothorpe # sign (also called a "hash" or a "pound") before the header-text.
# Header 1
## Header 2
### Header 3
#### Header 4
##### Header 5
###### Header 6
becomes
## EmphasisEmphasis, aka italics, are marked with *asterisks* or _underscores_.
Strong emphasis, aka bold, are marked with **asterisks** or __underscores__.
Combined emphasis can use both **asterisks and _underscores_**.
Strikethrough uses two ~~tildes~~.
Ordered lists use a number 1. and a space, and then the item, like this:
1. First ordered list item
2. Another item
* Unordered sub-list.
1. Actual numbers don't matter, just that it's a number
1. Ordered sub-list
4. And another item.
Some text that should be aligned with the above item.
Which becomes:
- First ordered list item
- Another item
- Unordered sub-list.
-
Actual numbers don't matter, just that it's a number
-
Ordered sub-list
-
And another item.
Some text that should be aligned with the above item.
Unordered, or bullet, lists use a star *, minus -, or plus + sign to start the line, a space, and then the item:
* Unordereds list can use asterisks
- Or minuses
+ Or pluses
Becomes:
- Unordered lists can use asterisks
- Or minuses
- Or pluses
Markdown supports two style of links: inline and reference.
In both styles, the link text is delimited by [square brackets].
To create an inline link, use a set of regular parentheses immediately after the link text’s closing square bracket. Inside the parentheses, put the URL where you want the link to point, along with an optional title for the link, surrounded in quotes. For example:
[Google](http://google.ca) becomes Google
To create a reference link, use a set of square brackets immediately after the link text's closing square bracket. Inside the parentheses, put an identifier. The identifier can be a number or text. Then, at the end of your document, repeat the parenthesis and identifier, followed by a colon :, a space, and the link URL. For example:
[Slashdot][1] Followed by your text, then [1]: http://slashdot.org at the very end of your document becomes [Slashdot][1]
[1]: http://slashdot.org
Markdown uses an image syntax that is intended to resemble the syntax for links, allowing for two styles: inline and reference.
 or ![alt text][logo] plus a refernce at the end of the document: [logo]: /path/to/image.png "Logo Title Text"
Simple tables are supported by Github Flaboured Markdown.
Use pipes | to mark your columns. Colons can be used to align columns. The outer pipes (|) are optional, and you don't need to make the raw Markdown line up prettily.
| Tables | Are | Cool |
| ------------- |:-------------:| -----:|
| col 3 is | right-aligned | $1600 |
| col 2 is | centered | $12 |
| zebra stripes | are neat | $1 |
becomes
| Tables | Are | Cool |
|---|---|---|
| col 3 is | right-aligned | $1600 |
| col 2 is | centered | $12 |
| zebra stripes | are neat | $1 |
and
Markdown | Less | Pretty
--- | --- | ---
*Still* | `renders` | **nicely**
1 | 2 | 3
becomes
| Markdown | Less | Pretty |
|---|---|---|
| Still | renders |
nicely |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
Blockquotes are easy! Just start your line with a righ angle-bracket >:
> Blockquotes are very handy in an article for emphasizing a passage of text or a quote.
> This line is part of the same quote.
Quote break.
> This is a very long line that will still be quoted properly when it wraps. Oh boy let's keep writing to make sure this is long enough to actually wrap for everyone. Oh, you can *put* **Markdown** into a blockquote.
becomes
Blockquotes are very handy in an article for emphasizing a passage of text or a quote. This line is part of the same quote.
Quote break.
This is a very long line that will still be quoted properly when it wraps. Oh boy let's keep writing to make sure this is long enough to actually wrap for everyone. Oh, you can put Markdown into a blockquote.
Three or more sort dashes --- will create a horizontal rule, like this:
## Embedded videos
Copy the iframe code from the video source and paste it into your document at the point you want the video to appear. the code will start with <iframe> and end with </iframe>, like this:
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Xe1TZaElTAs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
