Markdown and How it is Used
Markdown
Markdown is one of the basic coding languages that an experienced or beginning coder can use to develop websites, documents, notes, etc! While markdown may sound complex, and it is in many ways, the key is that markdown is just a language accumulated of symbols that vary in different arrangements. Once you know a little more about what symbols to use and where to use them, you will be able to format and develop whatever you would like and make it look well put together!
Learning the Language
While markdown is not quite what we think about when talking about languages, the practice of learning it is very similar to learning English, Spanish, or any other language. Markdown is no where comparable in size, allowing there to be guides and websites that can list all the available code that markdown has to offer. Below are just a few examples of code used from markdown as well as the code I used to generate the chart!
Simple Markdown Syntax:
| Code | Effect |
|---|---|
# Header 1 |
Displays your text in the largest heading available |
## Header 2 |
Displays your text as a header the next size down |
###### Smallest Header |
displays your text as a header in the smallest heading size |
Code Block |
Markdown |
_Italics_ |
Markdown |
**Bold** |
Markdown |
***Bold&Italic*** |
Markdown |
~~Crossout~~ |
> Click here for more Markdown Examples
###### Simple Markdown Syntax:
Code | Effect
------------ | -------------
`# Header 1`| Displays your text in the largest heading available
`## Header 2`| Displays your text as a header the next size down
`###### Smallest Header`| displays your text as a header in the smallest heading size
``Code Block``| `Markdown`
`_Italics_`| _Markdown_
`**Bold**`| **Markdown**
`***Bold&Italic***`| ***Markdown***
`~~Crossout~~`| ~~Markdown~~
Adding Hyperlinks:
###### > Click [here](https://guides.github.com/features/mastering-markdown/) for more Markdown Examples
Getting Started
Now since we know a little more, lets determine what it is that you are wanting to work on so you can begin coding! Markdown is used for several different types of projects and is very wide spread so you have a few options. Once that is sorted out you will need to create a new file on your computer for the project, as well as open the file in a code editor. If you are interested in making a web page through GitHub pages as well, here is a link that will help you get your first repository set up so you can start coding. If you are not for sure what editor to use, there are tons that you can look into online to see what fits you best!
Taking the Wheel
This is really when your creativity comes into play. We have everything set up and ready to go, now we just have to develop a formatting plan for the page and code! You may be thinking to your self, thats it, but truthfully it is with Markdown. This language has been around for a while and with time it hasn’t changed much. With this being said, I think it is safe to say with a little bit of hard work and memorization anyone can learn how to use Markdown when developing new products!