This document covers basic Markdown syntax that allows creators to write web content without needing to worry about maintaining servers or combining HTML with CSS. Markdown is often used on sites as in Github, forums like Reddit and applications such as Stoplight.io.

The markdownguide website does a great job at explaining what this language is all about:

What is Markdown?

Markdown is a lightweight markup language that you can use to add formatting elements to plaintext text documents. Created by John Gruber in 2004, Markdown is now one of the world’s most popular markup languages.

Using Markdown is different than using a WYSIWYG editor. In an application like Microsoft Word, you click buttons to format words and phrases, and the changes are visible immediately. Markdown isn’t like that. When you create a Markdown-formatted file, you add Markdown syntax to the text to indicate which words and phrases should look different.

What is Markdown good for?

Markdown is a fast and easy way to take notes, create content for a website, and produce print-ready documents.

It doesn’t take long to learn the Markdown syntax, and once you know how to use it, you can write using Markdown just about everywhere. Most people use Markdown to create content for the web, but Markdown is good for formatting everything from email messages to grocery lists.

You can choose to write Markdown (.md) files using a text editor application such as Notepad and use syntax guides for reference. A great choice would be Visual Studio Code or Sublime Text.

One option that can really streamline your Greenlight workflow is Stoplight Studio. Not only is it a great Markdown editor, it can also work with Git repositories directly (cloning, committing and pushing). Stoplight Studio simplifies working with Git, making commits feel more like a clicking on a 'save' button. You or your team can write content to a new branch, get reviews via pull requests and merge the new content into the main branch for publishing - all with the help of a visual editor! This app was actually built to design and document APIs so it is a great choice for developers, technical writers and Greenlight bloggers.

Other options listed on the markdownguide that you may consider include:

• Mac: MacDown, iA Writer, or Marked
• iOS / Android: iA Writer
• Windows: ghostwriter or Markdown Monster
• Linux: ReText or ghostwriter
• Web: Dillinger or StackEdit

Examples of Markdown elements with corresponding syntax

I'm sure I'll write a lot more interesting things in the future.

Oh, and here's a great quote from this Wikipedia on salted duck eggs.

A salted duck egg is a Chinese preserved food product made by soaking duck eggs in brine, or packing each egg in damp, salted charcoal. In Asian supermarkets, these eggs are sometimes sold covered in a thick layer of salted charcoal paste. The eggs may also be sold with the salted paste removed, wrapped in plastic, and vacuum packed. From the salt curing process, the salted duck eggs have a briny aroma, a gelatin-like egg white and a firm-textured, round yolk that is bright orange-red in color.

You can also write code blocks here!

View raw (TEST.md)

This is a paragraph.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aliquam hendrerit mi posuere lectus. Vestibulum enim wisi, viverra nec, fringilla in, laoreet vitae, risus.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

This is a header.

1. This is the first list item.
2. This is the second list item.

Here's some example code:

let md = Markdown.generate();

• Red
• Green
• Blue

• Red
• Green
• Blue

• code goes here in this line
• bold goes here

1. Buy flour and salt
2. Mix together with water
3. Bake

1. code goes here in this line
2. bold goes here

Paragraph:

This is an example link.

This link has no title attr.

This is an example reference-style link.

single asterisks

single underscores

double asterisks

double underscores

This paragraph has some code in it.