Markdown is known as a lightweight markup language, a method for formatting text using simple formatting. This article explains the basic writing methods of Markdown and the differences from HTML, introducing actual usage methods.
Basic Markdown Writing
Headers
In Markdown, headers are specified using # symbols. The more # symbols, the lower the heading level.
# Header 1
## Header 2
### Header 3Lists
Lists are created using * or -.
* List item 1
* List item 2
* List item 3Numbered lists use numbers and periods.
1. Numbered item 1
2. Numbered item 2
3. Numbered item 3Emphasis
Text you want to emphasize is surrounded by * or _. Doubling them makes it bold.
*Italic*
**Bold**Links
Links are written in the format [display text](URL).
[Google](https://www.google.com)Images
Images are written similarly to links but with a ! at the beginning.
Code Blocks
Code blocks are surrounded by backticks (`). Multi-line code blocks are surrounded by three backticks.
`Inline code`
Multi-line code block
Differences from HTML
Syntax Differences
HTML is a tag-based markup language. For example, headers are written as <h1>Header</h1>.
<h1>Header 1</h1>
<h2>Header 2</h2>
<h3>Header 3</h3>Readability
Markdown is characterized by its simplicity and high readability. HTML is more feature-rich but can become complex in its description.
Ease of Formatting
Markdown is suitable for quickly formatting text because simple formatting can be achieved with few symbols. HTML allows detailed style settings but requires more code to be written.
Using Markdown
Blogs and Documents
Markdown is widely used for creating blogs and documents. Repository management services like GitHub and GitLab also use Markdown as README files.
Some email clients support creating emails in Markdown format. This allows sending emails in an easy-to-read format.
Note Apps
Using note apps that support Markdown (e.g., Notion, Obsidian) allows for efficient note-taking.
Summary
Markdown is a lightweight markup language for formatting text with simple symbols. Compared to HTML, itโs simpler and more readable, and is used in various situations. Understanding basic writing methods can help with creating blogs and documents, and composing emails and notes. Try using Markdown to organize and share information more efficiently.