Code Formatting

When writing tutorials, blog posts, or documentation, you'll often need to include code snippets. Markdown provides several ways to format code, from inline code snippets to multi-line code blocks with syntax highlighting included.

Inline code

Inline code is created using backticks (`). This is useful for including short code examples such as variable names, a method name, elements, commands, or other code elements within a paragraph of text.

Syntax:

Create a JavaScript variable using the `var` keyword, followed by a name.

Result:

Create a JavaScript variable using the var keyword, followed by a name.

Code blocks

For larger code snippets, often multi-line, Markdown provides two methods to create code blocks:

1. Fenced code blocks

Modern Markdown flavors support fenced code blocks using three backticks (```) or three tildes (~~~) at the start and end of the block.

Syntax:

```
const name = 'Homer';
const learningMarkdown = true;
console.log(name, learningMarkdown);
```

Or:

~~~
const name = 'Homer';
const learningMarkdown = true;
console.log(name, learningMarkdown);
~~~

Result:

const name = 'Homer';
const learningMarkdown = true;
console.log(name, learningMarkdown);

2. Indented code blocks

You can create a code block by indenting each line with four spaces or one tab.

Syntax:

    const name = 'Homer';
    const learningMarkdown = true;
    console.log(name, learningMarkdown);

Result:

const name = 'Homer';
const learningMarkdown = true;
console.log(name, learningMarkdown);

Syntax highlighting

Many Markdown processors support syntax highlighting by adding the language after the opening fence.

Syntax:

```javascript
let user = {
  first: 'Homer',
  last: 'Simpson',
  occupation: 'Safety Inspector',
};
document.getElementById('title').innerText = user;
```

Result:

let user = {
  first: 'Homer',
  last: 'Simpson',
  occupation: 'Safety Inspector',
};
document.getElementById('title').innerText = user;

Common language identifiers include:

• html
• css
• javascript or js
• python
• java
• json
• markdown
• xml
• ruby
• sql

Escaping backticks

Backticks can also be included within the inline code by adding double backticks:

Syntax:

`` Adding `backticks` within code ``

Result:

Adding `backticks` within code