How to Start Writing in Markdown

See also: Markdown for Linear Algebra

Markdown is a lightweight markup language that allows you to create formatted text using plain text. It is often used for writing documentation, blogs, and notes. In this article, we will explain how to start writing in Markdown.

What is Markdown

Markdown was created by John Gruber in 2004 as a simple way to write HTML. It uses plain characters like asterisks, hashes, and dashes to format text. This makes Markdown accessible and easy to read even in its unformatted state.

Basic Elements of Markdown

Headers

To create headers, use hashes (#). The more hashes, the lower the level of the header.

# Level 1 Header
## Level 2 Header
### Level 3 Header

Paragraphs

To create a new paragraph, simply leave one empty line between blocks of text.

Lists

Numbered Lists

To create numbered lists, use numbers followed by a period.

1. First item
2. Second item
3. Third item

Bulleted Lists

To create bulleted lists, use asterisks, pluses, or dashes.

- List item
- Another item
- And another

Text Formatting

• Bold text: wrap the text with two asterisks or two underscores (**text** or __text__).
• Italic text: wrap the text with one asterisk or one underscore (*text* or _text_).
• Monospaced text: wrap the text with backticks (`text`).

Links

To create links, use the following syntax: [link text](URL).

[How to Start Writing in Markdown](https://how2gpt.xyz/how_to_start_writing_in_markdown/)

Images

To add images, use an exclamation mark before the link syntax: ![alt text](image URL).

![Example image](https://example.com/image.jpg)

Blockquotes

To create blockquotes, use the greater-than symbol (>).

> This is a blockquote.

Code Blocks

To create code blocks, use three backticks before and after the code block.

```markdown Code goes here ```

Horizontal Line

To create a horizontal line, use three or more hyphens, asterisks, or underscores.

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Tools for Working with Markdown

There are many tools for working with Markdown, ranging from text editors to specialized applications.

Editors

• Visual Studio Code: Markdown support with extensions.
• Atom: Markdown support out of the box.
• Typora: A simple Markdown editor with a visual interface.

Online Editors

• StackEdit: A powerful online Markdown editor.
• Dillinger: Another popular online editor.

Conclusion

Markdown is a simple and effective way to write formatted text. With it, you can easily create headers, lists, links, and more. Start using Markdown today to simplify your writing process and improve the readability of your documents.

Now you know the basic elements of Markdown and are ready to start writing. Good luck!