P1 - What is Markdown ?
Tags: github, git, tutorial, devops
Published: 2022-10-19 14:39:25

> ### 📌 Save It on [Medium]() | [Hashnode](https://blogs.thevedicdev.com/markdown-for-noobs-understanding-markdown) | [GitHub](https://github.com/thevedicdev/markdown-for-noobs#readme) | [Hackernoon]()

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## ⭐️ Before You Start

The guide `Markdown For Noobs` will explain every fundamental thing about the Markdown. The basic question which may comes to your mind is also answered here.

By any chance if your question or doubt is not addressed in this guide, please leave a comment. Or
If you are new to the world of open source you can also ask your question by raising a pull request [here](https://github.com/thevedicdev/markdown-for-noobs/pulls).

So, Before You Start reading, here are my some tips which will help you to remember most out this guide.

* 70% of this guide contains syntax. If you are new to Markdown `SAVE THIS ARTICLE NOW` for your future reference, believe me it will save a lot of your time.

![](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/thevedicdev/markdown-for-noobs/main/assets/richard-feynman-quote.png)

* The guide has a `Q&A style` format. The concepts are explained by answering questions. Most of the questions will lead to another question. This will help you in better understanding. So, while reading the guide, try to `REMEMBER THE QUESTIONS`.

* The questions are answered in numbers and points, this will help you to absorb most out of it.

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## 👉 What is Markdown ?

1. Markdown is a `markup language` used to for styling and formatting elements (modifying the display of a text like bolding and underline) to plain text documents.
2. Today Markdown is the most used language for **websites**, **documents**, **notes**, **books**, **presentations**, **email messages** and t**echnical documentation**.
3. Blogging platform like `Hashnode` and `Dev.to` also use Markdown as their primary format for writing.
4. A Markdown file ends with `.md` extensions.

> Therefore it is very important to learn Markdown for all those people who have ⌨️ Keyboards in their hands right now and is a Software Enginneer by mistake (like me 😅).

## 👉 What is a Markup Language ?

1. Markup language is a type of language where we use certain symbols and make rules using them to control the style of the plain text.
2. Intellectuals 🧠 call these rules as `encoding` 😂.
3. Text style like **structure**, **format** (e.g. **bold**, _italic_, ~~strikethrough~~,  <u>Underline</u> etc) or the relationship between different parts of the texts (e.g. links) can be controlled with the help of a markup language.
4. There are many other markup languages. Some of them are [TeX](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TeX), [LateX](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaTeX), [Scribe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scribe_(markup_language)), [XML](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML), [HTML](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML), etc.

## 👉 What is Encoding ?

Converting information from a some **source** into some `symbols` for communication and storage. And Decoding is the just opposite, converting `symbols` back into some form which recipient can understand like Music, Video, Text like English, etc.

> So, `MARKDOWN` is type of language where we apply certain sets of rules to modify different component of our plain text document.

## 👉 What you can modify in plain text documents ?

1. You can change size of your `Headings`.
2. You can `Bold`, `Italic`, `Strike` your texts.
3. You can add `Tables`,  `Links`.
4. You can add `Images`, `Videos`.
5. You can add `Diagrams`, `Emojis`,.
6. You can add `Code Blocks`, `Mathematical Expressions`, `Quotes`.
7. You can add `Ordered List`, `Unordered List`, `Check Boxes`.
8. You can add `Drop Down`, `Foot Notes`.
9. You show `Code Blocks`, `Lines Added or Removed in a file`.
10. You can do all of the above using `HTML` as well.

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