Files containing Markdown-formatted text can be opened using virtually any application. People use it to create websites, documents, notes, books, presentations, email messages, and technical documentation. Why write with Markdown when you can press buttons in an interface to format your text? As it turns out, there are several reasons why people use Markdown instead of WYSIWYG editors.

You might be wondering why people use Markdown instead of a WYSIWYG editor. The idea is that a Markdown-formatted document should be publishable as-is, as plain text, without looking like it’s been marked up with tags or formatting instructions. The overriding design goal for Markdown’s formatting syntax is to make it as readable as possible. According to Gruber, Markdown syntax is designed to be readable and unobtrusive, so the text in Markdown files can be read even if it isn’t rendered. There are also several web-based applications specifically designed for writing in Markdown.ĭepending on the application you use, you may not be able to preview the formatted document in real time. Or you can use one of the many Markdown applications for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android operating systems. You can add Markdown formatting elements to a plaintext file using a text editor application. The screenshot below shows a Markdown file displayed in the Visual Studio Code text editor. It may take a while to get used to seeing Markdown syntax in your text, especially if you’re accustomed to WYSIWYG applications.

Or to make a phrase bold, you add two asterisks before and after it (e.g., **this text is bold**). When you create a Markdown-formatted file, you add Markdown syntax to the text to indicate which words and phrases should look different.įor example, to denote a heading, you add a number sign before it (e.g., # Heading One). In an application like Microsoft Word, you click buttons to format words and phrases, and the changes are visible immediately. Using Markdown is different than using a WYSIWYG editor. Created by John Gruber in 2004, Markdown is now one of the world’s most popular markup languages. Markdown is a lightweight markup language that you can use to add formatting elements to plaintext text documents.

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