What is Markdown?

A simple Markup language for everyone

Markdown is a lightweight markup language designed to be as easy to write as it is to read. Created by John Gruber (with contributions from Aaron Swartz) in 2004, it allows you to format text using a simple, intuitive syntax while maintaining readability in its raw form.

Many blogs make use of markdown for fast & easy writing of posts. It is heavily used in documentation due to the fast and simple nature of the language.

Unlike more complex markup languages such as HTML or XML, Markdown uses basic characters like asterisks, underscores, and hashtags to format text, rather than surrounding tags.

This makes it more accessible to non-technical users while remaining powerful enough for advanced documentation.

Why use Markdown?

Markdown offers several advantages that have contributed to its widespread adoption:

• Readability: Even raw Markdown text is easy to read without rendering, making it suitable for non-technical users.
• Simplicity: Learn the basics in minutes and become proficient quickly.
• Platform Independence: Works across operating systems and applications.
• Future-Proof: Text-based format that will remain readable regardless of software evolution.
• Convertibility: Easily converts to HTML, PDF, and other formats.
• Focus on Content: Allows writers to focus on content rather than formatting.

Where is Markdown used?

Markdown has become ubiquitous across the internet and in software development:

• Documentation: README files, wikis, and technical documentation.
• Blogs: the fast, simple, & lightweight nature makes it ideal for blogging.
• Content Management Systems: WordPress, Ghost, and many other CMS platforms.
• Communication Tools: Slack, Discord, and Microsoft Teams.
• Development Platforms: GitHub, GitLab, and BitBucket.
• Note-Taking Applications: Notion, Obsidian, and Joplin.
• Forums and Social Media: Reddit, Stack Overflow, and Discord.

What you will learn in this course

Throughout this course, you'll learn everything from basic Markdown syntax for blog posts, right through to to advanced techniques for creating complex documents, including scientific writing. We'll cover:

1. Basic formatting (headings, paragraphs, lists).
2. Text styling (bold, italic, code formatting).
3. Links and images.
4. Code formatting.
5. Blockquotes, horizontal rules.
6. HTML in markdown.
7. Tables and advanced formatting.
8. Markdown extensions and flavors.
9. Creating real-world documents with Markdown.
10. Advanced and technical writing.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to confidently write any type of documentation using Markdown, understanding both its capabilities and limitations.

Let's begin our Markdown journey!