Markdown vs. Alternative Formats

Understanding text formats

Text formatting and documentation come in many formats, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. To fully appreciate Markdown's place in this ecosystem, let's compare it to other popular formats and understand when to use each one.

Markdown vs. Rich Text (WYSIWYG)

Rich text editors (What You See Is What You Get) are common in word processors, content management systems, and online editors.

Similarities:

• Both are widely used for content creation.
• Both allow basic text formatting (bold, italic, lists, etc).
• Both allow features such as adding images, and inserting code.
• Both are easy to use and learn.
• Both hide some of the underlying code from users.

Differences:

When to choose Rich Text over Markdown:

• When users need immediate visual feedback during editing.
• For documents requiring complex layout with exact positioning.
• When working with non-technical collaborators who need WYSIWYG.
• Quick and easy editing for users without Markdown experience.

Markdown vs. HTML

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the standard markup language for web pages and applications.

Similarities:

• Both convert to structured, formatted text.
• Both can include text, links, tables, images, text formatting.
• Both are widely supported on the web.
• Both are commonly used.
• Easy to learn the basics quickly.

Differences:

When to choose HTML over Markdown:

• Both can be combined, however the initial web page will need HTML structure to accept Markdown content.
• For complex web documents with more sophisticated formatting.
• Greater control over layout and styling using CSS.
• When integrating with JavaScript functionality.
• For documents requiring specific accessibility features.

Markdown vs. other Markup languages

Several alternatives to Markdown exist in the markup language space:

AsciiDoc

A more powerful markup language with a syntax similar to Markdown but with more features.

Key Differences:

• Aimed more at technical writing.
• Built-in table of contents generation.
• More structured document format.
• More complex but more powerful.
• Advanced features built-in without extensions/variants.

reStructuredText (reST)

Often used in Python documentation, reStructuredText is an easy to read plain markup syntax with strong extensibility.

Key Differences:

• More rigorous syntax rules.
• Built-in extension systems.
• Better native support for tables.
• Strong support for technical documentation.

LaTeX

A sophisticated typesetting system designed for the publication of academic, scientific, and technical documents. Markup tagging is used to define the document structure.

Key Differences:

• Steeper learning curve.
• More complex document structure.
• Superior mathematical notation.
• Greater control over typography and layout.

When to choose Markdown

Markdown is a great choice for:

1. Quick Documentation: When you need to create readable documentation quickly.
2. Blog Posts: Extremely popular for creating blog posts or content pages. For content that doesn't need complex formatting.
3. README Files: For project documentation on GitHub/GitLab.
4. Collaborative Writing: When multiple users need to edit documents with version control.
5. Notes and Documentation: Users that need basic formatting to struture and format notes.
6. Cross-Platform Writing: When you need the document to be readable and editable anywhere.