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"Markdown"
#54857 06/10/20 07:54 AM
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In another thread, joemike recently posted

Quote:
I am now creating all my new text files in markdown on the theory that it is easy to output in a wide variety of formats or in apps and is simple enough to remain compatible in the future. (Emphasis added)

I've seen any number of "markdown" apps listed on MacUpdate, but I'm not clear about what they do or why?

Clarification will be appreciated.


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Re: "Markdown"
artie505 #54861 06/10/20 02:59 PM
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Markdown is a "lightweight" markup language. The UBB tags used to format posts on FineTunedMac is an example of a Markup language. In other words a set of tags that define how the text should appear. Markdown is a bit simpler and generally requires only a single formatting symbol at the beginning of a line of plain text. For Example:
Quote:
click here
markdown on the left resulting PDF on the right

The advantage is it can be created using virtually any plain text editor and permits the author to focus on the content with only minimal formatting concern. The output format is the province of an interpreter and the results can be anything from formatted PDF to HTML code from the same markdown source. The actual format and final appearance is determined at compile or production time.

Markdown is widely used in software documentation and interpreters are built into diverse applications such as Python (programming language), Xcode (Software development environment), DEVONThink 3 (database system), and Scriviner (authoring system). After several trials, my favorite Markdown editor by far is iA Writer (it is NOT the cheapest).


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Re: "Markdown"
joemikeb #55581 08/05/20 06:14 AM
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Sorry for not thanking you for that sooner, but I've been trying to figure out if and where it fits into MY life, and I've finally decided that it's nothing more than something to keep in mind rather than implement.

I guess fonts are formatted independently of markdown?


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: "Markdown"
artie505 #55583 08/05/20 12:57 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
Sorry for not thanking you for that sooner, but I've been trying to figure out if and where it fits into MY life, and I've finally decided that it's nothing more than something to keep in mind rather than implement.

I guess fonts are formatted independently of markdown?
Yep.
I find Markdown useful as it puts the focus on content and not format. When I use Markdown and look at the screen, I see the meaning and impact of the content and how it looks on the screen or on paper is an entirely different process. In fact, the same content may end up looking very different depending on the target media. When I am using a word processor like Pages or Mellel my attention is always divided between content and appearance and too often appearance overrides the content. 👎


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein

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