Markdown Language: An Essential Tool for Programmers

[anaselhaag]

Hello, I am Anas Abuelhaag, a Microsoft Student Ambassador from Egypt, currently pursuing a degree in Software Engineering.

Imagine you've written a code that prints "hello world."



Next, you decide to upload it onto GitHub, To showcase your work, but hold on a sec, before you commit, Markdown is here to make writing. Markdown makes writing you documentation a joy, a breeze.

Why is Markdown Important in Programming?
​

1. Readability and Simplicity: Easy to see,
   Markdown's syntax is simple as can be.
2. Documentation: For docs, it's the king,
   Helping you write almost anything.
3. Version Control: In Git, it's a must,
   For messages and logs, in Markdown we trust.
4. Portability: Plain text files that move,
   Across platforms and tools, they easily groove.
5. Community and Ecosystem: Tools abound,
   In GitHub and more, Markdown is found.

Markdown makes your projects clear and bright, it make it accessible, professional, markdown's the tool that's perfect for you.

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Getting Started​

First, you need a place to write Markdown. I'm using VS Code. There are many editors for Markdown; use this link to explore more options. If you're using VS Code, just add the extension ".md" to your file, and to see the preview, simply press "Ctrl+Shift+V".

Writing a Paragraph​

To write a paragraph, just start typing. It's as simple as that!

Creating Headings​

For headings, you simply use the '#' symbol. You can create up to six levels of headings. For each level, add another '#'. For example, for a level 5 heading, use '#####'. Hope it's easy till now!


Here are some examples:

Bold, Italic, and Strikethrough​

Now, let's learn about bold, italic, and strikethrough.

• For bold, you can use underscores like this: __word__ or asterisks: **word**.
• For italic, use a single asterisk or underscore: *word* or _word_.
• For strikethrough, use tildes: ~~word~~.

Examples:​

• With these simple tricks, your text can stand out,
• Bold for emphasis, and italic for clout.
• Strikethrough for thoughts that you want to rethink,

Adding Code Snippets​

Assuming you are a programmer, you will likely need to add some code snippets to your README file on GitHub. This is easy to do with Markdown. Just use triple backticks to enclose your code:

print('Markdown is awesome')

Example:​

Easy, right? Just use triple backticks, and your code will be displayed perfectly. Whether you're sharing Python, JavaScript, or any other language, Markdown has got you covered.

Creating Lists​

Markdown also makes it easy to create lists, which are useful for organizing information. There are two types of lists you can create: unordered lists and ordered lists.

Unordered Lists​

Unordered lists are created using dashes (-), plus signs (+), or asterisks (*). All three symbols are interchangeable. Each item in the list should be on its own line, starting with one of these symbols, followed by a space.


Example:

Ordered Lists​

Ordered lists are created using numbers followed by a period. The numbers don't have to be in order when you write them; Markdown will render them sequentially.


Example:

Nested Lists​

You can also create nested lists by indenting items under a list item. Use two spaces or a tab to indent.


Example:

• Lists are perfect for steps, points, and more,
• Organizing content, making it less of a chore.
• Use unordered for bullets, ordered for steps,
• Markdown makes lists with minimal prep!

Creating Tables​

We can dive even deeper with tables. This requires a bit more setup than the other elements, but it's still straightforward. Here's how you can create a table in Markdown:

Header 1	Header 2	Header 3
Row 1, Col 1	Row 1, Col 2	Row 1, Col 3
Row 2, Col 1	Row 2, Col 2	Row 2, Col 3

To create a table:

• Use | to separate columns.
• Use --- to separate the header from the rows.
• Align the text by adding colons : on either side of the dashes if needed (for left, right, or center alignment).

Example:​

• Tables organize data in rows and columns,
• For neat, structured info, like orderly songs.

Conclusion​

These were the essentials to use Markdown language. Of course, there are more and more options, but I think we've covered all you need to learn to write anything you want using Markdown. To learn more, you can use the following resources:

• Markdown Reference - Microsoft Docs
• Writing on GitHub - GitHub Docs
• Basic Syntax - Markdown Guide

So dive into Markdown, give it a try, It's simple, it's fun, and you'll soar high!

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