Markdown Syntax: Basics

Core of what MD4C can undertand is defined by CommonMark specification. Therefore the below is just a condensed summary.

• Plain text (two paragraphs):

  This is first paragraph.
  
  And this is second paragraph.
  

• Italic:

  Text enclosed in *single asterisks* or _single underscores_ is recognized
  as an emphasis, and it usually gets rendered as an italic text.
  

• Bold:

  Similarly, text enclosed in **double asterisks** or __double underscores__
  is recognized as a strong emphasis, and it usually gets rendered as a bold
  text.
  

• Bold italic:

  *Italic* and **bold text** can be combined into ***bold italic***, even 
  __in quite a _complicated_ ways__.
  

• Headings:

  # Header level 1
  ## Header level 2
  ### Header level 3
  #### Header level 4
  ##### Header level 5
  ###### Header level 6
  
  First two header level may alternatively be written using an underline:
  
  Header level 1
  ==============
  
  Header level 2
  --------------
  

• Link:

  Inline link: [link text](http://www.example.com)
  
  Or link using a reference definition:
  
  [Reference link][1]
  
  [1]: http://www.example.com
  

• Image:

  Inline image: ![image alt text](http://www.example.com/image.png)
  
  Or image using a reference definition:
  
  ![image alt text][2]
  
  [2]: http://www.example.com/image.png
  

• Unordered lists:

  * List item 1
  * List item 2
  * List item 3
  
  or
  
  - List item 1
  - List item 2
  - List item 3
  

• Ordered lists:

  1. List item 1
  2. List item 2
  3. List item 3
  
  or
  
  1) List item 1
  2) List item 2
  3) List item 3
  

• Nested lists:

  * Foo
    * Foo's subitem
  * Bar
    * Bar's subitem 1
    * Bar's subitem 2
    * Bar's subitem 3
  * Baz
    * Baz's subitem 1
    * Baz's subitem 2
  

• Blockquote:

  > Part of documements with lines prepended with `>` is treated as a
  > blockquote.
  >
  > > It may contain even nested block quote or lists:
  > 
  > * List item 1
  > * List item 2
  

• Inline code (a.k.a code span):

  Run shell command `ls` to get contents of the current directory.
  

• Code block:

  Set of lines enclosed within a lines formed by three (or more) consecutive
  backticks (```) or tildes (~~~) is recognized as a code block.
  
  Alternatively, the code may just be indented by four or more spaces:
  
      $ ./configure
      $ make
      $ make install