MD Feature showcase

Complete Markdown Syntax Showcase

A Comprehensive Reference for Par Markdown Parser Features

This document serves as a complete reference guide demonstrating all syntax features supported by the Par markdown parser, organized by content type and interaction patterns.

1. Text Formatting & Inline Styling

Text formatting provides the foundation for semantic emphasis and visual hierarchy within prose.

1.1 Basic Formatting

Bold text is created with **double asterisks** or __double underscores__.

Italic text uses *single asterisks* or _single underscores_ for emphasis.

Combined bold and italic mixing *** markers creates strong emphasis.

1.2 Advanced Inline Formatting

Code fragments appear like this within backticks for inline code.

Strikethrough text indicates deleted or deprecated content using tildes.

Superscript notation appears in expressions like E=mc² or xⁿ using ^caret^ delimiters.

Subscript text for chemical formulas: H₂O or CO₂ uses _comma delimiters.

1.3 Escape Sequences & Special Characters

Escaped characters like *asterisk*, _underscore_, and [brackets] use backslash prefix.

Long dashes appear automatically when using -- (converted to proper em-dash style).

Star ratings: ★★★★★ 4/5 or using emoji rating systems.

2. Headings & Document Structure

2.1 ATX-Style Headings (Hash Marks)

Level 4 Heading

Level 5 Heading

Level 6 Heading

Multiple heading levels create semantic document structure for rendering and navigation.

2.2 Setext-Style Headings (Underlines)

These are also Headings

Less prominent using hyphens

Both ATX and setext styles coexist, providing flexibility in authorship.

3. Attributes & Metadata

Headings and blocks accept attributes using {attribute syntax}:

Attributed Heading

Blocks can have:

Identity: {#unique-id} for targeting and references
Classes: {.class1 .class2} for styling hooks
Key-Value Pairs: {data-type=special attr=value}

Attributes enable styling, identification, and semantic markup without breaking markdown readability.

4. Lists: Structure & Nesting

4.1 Unordered Lists (Bullets)

First item
Second item
Third item
- Nested bullet level 1
- Nested bullet level 2
  - Triple-nested item
- Back to level 2
Back to level 1

Lists support multiple nesting depths with indentation consistency.

4.2 Ordered Lists (Numbered)

First step
Second step
Third step
1. Substep A
2. Substep B
Final step

Ordered lists maintain semantic meaning through numeric progression.

4.3 Task Lists (Checkboxes)

Completed task
Incomplete task
In-progress or partial
Future work

Task lists blend checklist semantics with list structure for project planning.

4.4 Definition Lists

Term One The first concept needing explanation: Definition paragraph explaining the term comprehensively.; Multiple definitions can follow a single term.
Term Two Another important concept: Its definition comes next.; Additional context can be provided here.

Definition lists create structured glossaries and explanations naturally.

5. Database and Tabular Content

5.1 Standard Tables

Header 1	Header 2	Header 3
Cell A1	Cell A2	Cell A3
Cell B1	Cell B2	Cell B3
Cell C1	Cell C2	Cell C3

Tables organize structured data with proper semantic HTML output.

5.2 Aligned Columns

Left	Center	Right
Alpha	Beta	Gamma
First	Middle	Last

Column alignment (left :--, center :--:, right --:) controls presentation.

6. Code & Preformatted Content

6.1 Indented Code Blocks

def hello_world():
    """A simple function"""
    print("Hello, World!")
    return 42

Indentation (4 spaces or tab) creates code blocks for monospace display.

6.2 Fenced Code Blocks with Language

class DataProcessor:
    def __init__(self, data):
        self.data = data
    
    def process(self):
        return [x * 2 for x in self.data]

const message = "Fenced code blocks support language specification";
console.log(message);

Generic code block without language specification
appears in monospace formatting

Fenced blocks with triple backticks or tildes offer explicit language hints.

6.3 Inline Code

Use var_name or function() for inline code references without block formatting.

7. Links & URLs

7.1 Inline Links

Simple link

Link with title

Link with complex URL

7.2 Reference Links

Reference-style link

Another reference

Reference links define URLs separately, useful for repeated references.

7.3 Shortcut References

This is a shortcut reference

7.4 Automatic URL Detection

Raw URLs like https://example.com/page display as links automatically.

Email addresses auto-link: contact@example.com becomes a mailto: link.

7.5 Wiki-Style Links

Internal Page

Custom Display Text

Wiki links enable internal knowledge base navigation patterns.

8. Images & Media

8.1 Inline Images

Alt text for image

Image with title

8.2 Reference Images

Alt for referenced image

8.3 Clickable Images

Alt text

Images wrapped in links become clickable navigation elements.

8.4 Wiki-Style Images

center | 400px | 300px

Wiki images support alignment and dimension specifications.

9. Blockquotes & Attribution

9.1 Simple Blockquotes

This is a quoted passage that appears with special formatting to distinguish it from surrounding prose.

Blockquotes can span

multiple lines when each line

starts with the > marker.

9.2 Blockquotes with Attribution

The best way to predict the future is to implement it.

— Alan Kay (1971)

Blockquote attribution follows blank lines and em-dashes for proper semantic quoting.

9.3 Nested Content in Quotes

Simple quote with a list:

First item

Second item

And then a code example:
code inside quote

Blockquotes can contain complex nested content including lists and code blocks.

10. Horizontal Rules & Visual Breaks

Three or more hyphens, asterisks, or underscores create visual breaks:

---

***

___

These provide visual rhythm and section delineation in document flow. Here's for for example:

11. Footnotes & Annotations

11.1 Footnote References

This text contains a footnote reference¹ , and another one² .

Here's a note with multiple paragraphs³ .

⁴ :

This footnote contains multiple paragraphs and can include:

Structured lists
- Code blocks
- Other complex content

Footnotes separate supplementary information from main flow while maintaining reference integrity.

12. Interactive Elements: Forms & Inputs

12.1 Input Fields

Name:

Email:

Phone:

File Upload:

Input field markers: > for input, modifiers like @ (email), tel (telephone), # (number), ! (file).

12.2 Checkboxes & Choices

This is the first footnote definition.
↩
This is the second footnote definition.
↩