Markdown is a lightweight markup language that uses plain text formatting syntax to create richly formatted documents. It is designed to be easy to read and write in its raw form while converting to HTML, PDF, and other formats.
Markdown was created by John Gruber in 2004 with the goal of enabling people to write using an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text format that optionally converts to structurally valid HTML. Unlike WYSIWYG editors that hide the markup, Markdown makes the formatting visible and intuitive — # for headings, * for bold, - for lists.
Markdown uses simple punctuation characters to indicate formatting. A hash (#) creates headings, asterisks or underscores create emphasis (*italic*, **bold**), dashes (-) create lists, brackets and parentheses create links ([text](url)), and backticks create inline code. GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) adds tables, task lists, and code fences.
No. Markdown is a markup language for formatting text, not a programming language. It cannot execute logic or define variables.
No, Markdown syntax varies between implementations. GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) is the most common standard, but features like tables, task lists, and emoji support differ.
Yes. Tools like Pandoc convert Markdown to PDF, EPUB, and DOCX, making it popular for self-publishing and technical books.