1. Md Markdown Syntax
2. Markdown File Format
3. Markdown Include Md
4. Md Markdown Image
5. Md Markdown Code Block

Markdown is a lightweight markup language for adding formatting elements to plain text. PyCharm recognizes Markdown files, provides a dedicated editor with highlighting, completion, and formatting, and shows the rendered HTML in a live preview pane.

Markdown is not a replacement for HTML, or even close to it. (John Gruber) As explained by John Gruber, the creator of markdown, it was not created to replace HTML, so there are situations we can't avoid using HTML. With complex tables, that's the case. Markdownis a way to style text on the web. You control the display of the document; forma˜ing words as bold or italic, adding images, and creating lists are just a few of the things we can do with Markdown. Mostly, Markdown is just regular text with a few non-alphabetic characters thrown in, like # or. Dillinger is an online cloud based HTML5 filled Markdown Editor. Sync with Dropbox, Github, Google Drive or OneDrive. Convert HTML to Markdown. 100% Open Source! When it comes to working with files formatted with Markdown, command-line tools rule the roost. They're light, fast, powerful, and flexible, and most of them follow the Unix philosophy of doing one thing well. Take a look at four utilities that can help you work more efficiently with Markdown files at the command line.

Create a new Markdown file

By default, PyCharm recognizes any file with the .md or .markdown extension as a Markdown file.

1. Right-click a directory in the Project tool window Alt+1 and select New | File.

   Alternatively, you can select the necessary directory, press Alt+Insert, and then select File.

2. Enter a name for your file with a recognized extension, for example: readme.md.

The Markdown editor provides several basic formatting actions in the toolbar:

• : Bold

• : Strikethrough

• : Italic

• : Code

• : Decrease heading level

• : Increase heading level

• : Convert an inline link to a reference link

You can use the preview pane to see the rendered HTML.

There is also completion for links to files in the current project, for example, if you need to reference source code, images, or other Markdown files.

Code blocks

To insert a fenced code block, use triple backticks (```) before and after the code block. If you specify the language for the code block, by default, the Markdown editor injects the corresponding language. This enables syntax highlighting and other coding assistance features for the specified language: code completion, inspections, and intention actions.

Disable coding assistance in code blocks

If your code blocks are not meant to be syntactically correct, you may want to disable code injection and syntax errors in code blocks.

1. In the Settings/Preferences dialog Ctrl+Alt+S, select Languages & Frameworks | Markdown.

2. Configure the following options:

   Disable automatic language injection in code fences	Do not inject any coding assistance for code blocks.
   Hide errors in code fences	Do not check the syntax for errors.

3. Click OK to apply the changes.

Diagrams

The Markdown editor can render diagrams defined with Mermaid and PlantUML. This is disabled by default and requires the corresponding Markdown extensions.

Enable diagram support

1. In the Settings/Preferences dialog Ctrl+Alt+S, select Languages & Frameworks | Markdown.

2. Enable either Mermaid or PlantUML under Markdown Extensions.

3. After PyCharm downloads the relevant extensions, click OK to apply the changes.

HTML preview

By default, the Markdown editor shows a preview pane next to it for rendered HTML code based on the Markdown file. You can use or in the top right corner of the Markdown editor to show only the editor or the preview pane.

The scrollbars in the editor and in the preview pane are synchronized, meaning that the location in the preview pane corresponds to the location in the source. To disable this, click in the top right corner of the Markdown editor.

To split the editor and preview pane horizontally (top and bottom) instead of the default vertical split, in the Settings/Preferences dialog Ctrl+Alt+S, select Languages & Frameworks | Markdown, and then select Split horizontally under Editor and Preview Panel Layout.

Custom CSS

PyCharm provides default style sheets for rendering HTML in the preview pane. These style sheets were designed to be consistent with the default UI themes. You can configure specific CSS rules to make small presentation changes (for example, change the font size for headings or line spacing in lists) or you can provide an entirely new CSS to better match your expected output (for example, if you want to replicate the GitHub Markdown style).

1. In the Settings/Preferences dialog Ctrl+Alt+S, select Languages & Frameworks | Markdown.

2. Configure the settings under Custom CSS:

   • Select Load from URI to specify the location of a custom CSS file.

   • Select Add CSS rules rules to enter specific CSS rules that you want to override.

Reformat Markdown files

PyCharm can format Markdown files with proper line wrappings, blank lines, and indentation. For more information, see Reformat and rearrange code.

• From the main menu, select Code | Reformat Code or press Ctrl+Alt+L.

PyCharm formats the contents according to the code style settings for Markdown files.

Configure Markdown code style settings

• In the Settings/Preferences dialog Ctrl+Alt+S, select Editor | Code Style | Markdown.

Markdown code style settings include the following:

Configure the options for breaking lines.

Configure the options for nesting text blocks and alignment within a block.

Set the maximum and minimum number of blank lines to keep for various text elements.

Specify which elements should have exactly one space.

Productivity tips

Customize highlighting for Markdown

PyCharm highlights various Markdown elements according to the color scheme settings.

1. In the Settings/Preferences dialog Ctrl+Alt+S, select Editor | Color Scheme | Markdown.

2. Select the color scheme, accept the highlighting settings inherited from defaults, or customize them as described in Configuring colors and fonts.

Navigate in a large Markdown file

• Use the Structure tool window Alt+7 or the File Structure popup Ctrl+F12 to view and jump to the relevant headings.

Markdown does not have dedicated syntax for commenting out lines. However, it is possible to emulate a comment line using a link label without an address, like this:

There must be a blank line before the link label.

• Put the caret at the line that you want to comment out and press Ctrl+/.

  This will add a link label with the commented out text in parentheses and a blank line before it if necessary. Press the same shortcut to uncomment.

Overview

Nearly all Markdown applications support the basic syntax outlined in John Gruber’s original design document. There are minor variations and discrepancies between Markdown processors — those are noted inline wherever possible.

Headings

To create a heading, add number signs (#) in front of a word or phrase. The number of number signs you use should correspond to the heading level. For example, to create a heading level three (<h3>), use three number signs (e.g., ### My Header).

Alternate Syntax

Alternatively, on the line below the text, add any number of characters for heading level 1 or -- characters for heading level 2.

Heading Best Practices

Markdown applications don’t agree on how to handle a missing space between the number signs (#) and the heading name. For compatibility, always put a space between the number signs and the heading name.

Md Markdown Syntax

Paragraphs

To create paragraphs, use a blank line to separate one or more lines of text.

Paragraph Best Practices

Unless the paragraph is in a list, don’t indent paragraphs with spaces or tabs.

Line Breaks

To create a line break (<br>), end a line with two or more spaces, and then type return.

Line Break Best Practices

You can use two or more spaces (commonly referred to as “trailing whitespace”) for line breaks in nearly every Markdown application, but it’s controversial. It’s hard to see trailing whitespace in an editor, and many people accidentally or intentionally put two spaces after every sentence. For this reason, you may want to use something other than trailing whitespace for line breaks. Fortunately, there is another option supported by nearly every Markdown application: the <br> HTML tag.

For compatibility, use trailing white space or the <br> HTML tag at the end of the line.

There are two other options I don’t recommend using. CommonMark and a few other lightweight markup languages let you type a backslash () at the end of the line, but not all Markdown applications support this, so it isn’t a great option from a compatibility perspective. And at least a couple lightweight markup languages don’t require anything at the end of the line — just type return and they’ll create a line break.

Emphasis

You can add emphasis by making text bold or italic.

Bold

To bold text, add two asterisks or underscores before and after a word or phrase. To bold the middle of a word for emphasis, add two asterisks without spaces around the letters.

Bold Best Practices

Markdown applications don’t agree on how to handle underscores in the middle of a word. For compatibility, use asterisks to bold the middle of a word for emphasis.

Italic

To italicize text, add one asterisk or underscore before and after a word or phrase. To italicize the middle of a word for emphasis, add one asterisk without spaces around the letters.

Italic Best Practices

Markdown applications don’t agree on how to handle underscores in the middle of a word. For compatibility, use asterisks to italicize the middle of a word for emphasis.

Bold and Italic

To emphasize text with bold and italics at the same time, add three asterisks or underscores before and after a word or phrase. To bold and italicize the middle of a word for emphasis, add three asterisks without spaces around the letters.

Markdown File Format

Bold and Italic Best Practices

Markdown applications don’t agree on how to handle underscores in the middle of a word. For compatibility, use asterisks to bold and italicize the middle of a word for emphasis.

Blockquotes

To create a blockquote, add a > in front of a paragraph.

The rendered output looks like this:

Dorothy followed her through many of the beautiful rooms in her castle.

Blockquotes with Multiple Paragraphs

Blockquotes can contain multiple paragraphs. Add a > on the blank lines between the paragraphs.

The rendered output looks like this:

Dorothy followed her through many of the beautiful rooms in her castle.

The Witch bade her clean the pots and kettles and sweep the floor and keep the fire fed with wood.

Nested Blockquotes

Blockquotes can be nested. Add a >> in front of the paragraph you want to nest.

The rendered output looks like this:

Dorothy followed her through many of the beautiful rooms in her castle.

The Witch bade her clean the pots and kettles and sweep the floor and keep the fire fed with wood.

Blockquotes with Other Elements

Blockquotes can contain other Markdown formatted elements. Not all elements can be used — you’ll need to experiment to see which ones work.

The rendered output looks like this:

The quarterly results look great!

• Revenue was off the chart.
• Profits were higher than ever.

Everything is going according to plan.

Lists

You can organize items into ordered and unordered lists.

Ordered Lists

To create an ordered list, add line items with numbers followed by periods. The numbers don’t have to be in numerical order, but the list should start with the number one.

Ordered List Best Practices

CommonMark and a few other lightweight markup languages let you use a parenthesis ()) as a delimiter (e.g., 1) First item), but not all Markdown applications support this, so it isn’t a great option from a compatibility perspective. For compatibility, use periods only.

Unordered Lists

To create an unordered list, add dashes (-), asterisks (*), or plus signs (+) in front of line items. Indent one or more items to create a nested list.

Starting Unordered List Items With Numbers

If you need to start an unordered list item with a number followed by a period, you can use a backslash () to escape the period.

Unordered List Best Practices

Markdown applications don’t agree on how to handle different delimiters in the same list. For compatibility, don’t mix and match delimiters in the same list — pick one and stick with it.

Adding Elements in Lists

To add another element in a list while preserving the continuity of the list, indent the element four spaces or one tab, as shown in the following examples.

Paragraphs

The rendered output looks like this:

• This is the first list item.

• Here’s the second list item.

  I need to add another paragraph below the second list item.

• And here’s the third list item.

Blockquotes

The rendered output looks like this:

• This is the first list item.

• Here’s the second list item.

  A blockquote would look great below the second list item.

• And here’s the third list item.

Code Blocks

Code blocks are normally indented four spaces or one tab. When they’re in a list, indent them eight spaces or two tabs.

The rendered output looks like this:

1. Open the file.

2. Find the following code block on line 21:

3. Update the title to match the name of your website.

Images

Markdown Include Md

The rendered output looks like this:

1. Open the file containing the Linux mascot.

2. Marvel at its beauty.

3. Close the file.

Lists

You can nest an unordered list in an ordered list, or vice versa.

The rendered output looks like this:

1. First item
2. Second item
3. Third item
   • Indented item
   • Indented item
4. Fourth item

Code

To denote a word or phrase as code, enclose it in backticks (`).

Escaping Backticks

If the word or phrase you want to denote as code includes one or more backticks, you can escape it by enclosing the word or phrase in double backticks (``).

Code Blocks

To create code blocks, indent every line of the block by at least four spaces or one tab.

The rendered output looks like this:

Horizontal Rules

To create a horizontal rule, use three or more asterisks (***), dashes (---), or underscores (___) on a line by themselves.

The rendered output of all three looks identical:

Horizontal Rule Best Practices

For compatibility, put blank lines before and after horizontal rules.

Links

To create a link, enclose the link text in brackets (e.g., [Duck Duck Go]) and then follow it immediately with the URL in parentheses (e.g., (https://duckduckgo.com)).

The rendered output looks like this:

My favorite search engine is Duck Duck Go.

Adding Titles

You can optionally add a title for a link. This will appear as a tooltip when the user hovers over the link. To add a title, enclose it in parentheses after the URL.

The rendered output looks like this:

My favorite search engine is Duck Duck Go.

URLs and Email Addresses

To quickly turn a URL or email address into a link, enclose it in angle brackets.

The rendered output looks like this:

https://www.markdownguide.org
fake@example.com

Formatting Links

To emphasize links, add asterisks before and after the brackets and parentheses. To denote links as code, add backticks in the brackets.

The rendered output looks like this:

I love supporting the EFF.
This is the Markdown Guide.
See the section on code.

Reference-style Links

Reference-style links are a special kind of link that make URLs easier to display and read in Markdown. Reference-style links are constructed in two parts: the part you keep inline with your text and the part you store somewhere else in the file to keep the text easy to read.

Formatting the First Part of the Link

The first part of a reference-style link is formatted with two sets of brackets. The first set of brackets surrounds the text that should appear linked. The second set of brackets displays a label used to point to the link you’re storing elsewhere in your document.

Although not required, you can include a space between the first and second set of brackets. The label in the second set of brackets is not case sensitive and can include letters, numbers, spaces, or punctuation.

This means the following example formats are roughly equivalent for the first part of the link:

• [hobbit-hole][1]
• [hobbit-hole] [1]

Formatting the Second Part of the Link

The second part of a reference-style link is formatted with the following attributes:

1. The label, in brackets, followed immediately by a colon and at least one space (e.g., [label]: ).
2. The URL for the link, which you can optionally enclose in angle brackets.
3. The optional title for the link, which you can enclose in double quotes, single quotes, or parentheses.

This means the following example formats are all roughly equivalent for the second part of the link:

• [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobbit#Lifestyle
• [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobbit#Lifestyle 'Hobbit lifestyles'
• [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobbit#Lifestyle 'Hobbit lifestyles'
• [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobbit#Lifestyle (Hobbit lifestyles)
• [1]: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobbit#Lifestyle> 'Hobbit lifestyles'
• [1]: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobbit#Lifestyle> 'Hobbit lifestyles'
• [1]: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobbit#Lifestyle> (Hobbit lifestyles)

You can place this second part of the link anywhere in your Markdown document. Some people place them immediately after the paragraph in which they appear while other people place them at the end of the document (like endnotes or footnotes).

An Example Putting the Parts Together

Say you add a URL as a standard URL link to a paragraph and it looks like this in Markdown:

Though it may point to interesting additional information, the URL as displayed really doesn’t add much to the existing raw text other than making it harder to read. To fix that, you could format the URL like this instead:

In both instances above, the rendered output would be identical:

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

and the HTML for the link would be:

Link Best Practices

Markdown applications don’t agree on how to handle spaces in the middle of a URL. For compatibility, try to URL encode any spaces with %20.

Images

To add an image, add an exclamation mark (!), followed by alt text in brackets, and the path or URL to the image asset in parentheses. You can optionally add a title after the URL in the parentheses.

The rendered output looks like this:

Linking Images

Md Markdown Image

To add a link to an image, enclose the Markdown for the image in brackets, and then add the link in parentheses.

The rendered output looks like this:

Escaping Characters

To display a literal character that would otherwise be used to format text in a Markdown document, add a backslash () in front of the character.

The rendered output looks like this:

* Without the backslash, this would be a bullet in an unordered list.

Characters You Can Escape

Md Markdown Code Block

You can use a backslash to escape the following characters.

HTML

Many Markdown applications allow you to use HTML tags in Markdown-formatted text. This is helpful if you prefer certain HTML tags to Markdown syntax. For example, some people find it easier to use HTML tags for images. Using HTML is also helpful when you need to change the attributes of an element, like specifying the color of text or changing the width of an image.

To use HTML, place the tags in the text of your Markdown-formatted file.

The rendered output looks like this:

This word is bold. This word is italic.

HTML Best Practices

For security reasons, not all Markdown applications support HTML in Markdown documents. When in doubt, check your Markdown application’s documentation. Some applications support only a subset of HTML tags.

Use blank lines to separate block-level HTML elements like <div>, <table>, <pre>, and <p> from the surrounding content. Try not to indent the tags with tabs or spaces — that can interfere with the formatting.

You can’t use Markdown syntax inside block-level HTML tags. For example, <p>italic and **bold**</p> won’t work.

Take your Markdown skills to the next level.

Learn Markdown in 60 pages. Designed for both novices and experts, The Markdown Guide book is a comprehensive reference that has everything you need to get started and master Markdown syntax.

Want to learn more Markdown?

Don't stop now! 😎 Star the GitHub repository and then enter your email address below to receive new Markdown tutorials via email. No spam!