Docsify can generate article, portfolio and documentation websites on the fly. Unlike Docusaurus, Hugo and many other Static Site Generators (SSG), it does not generate static html files. Instead, it smartly loads and parses your Markdown content files and displays them as a website.
Markdown is a system-independent markup language that is easier to learn and use than HTML.
Figure 1: The Markdown Mark
Some of the key benefits are:
- Markdown is simple to learn, with minimal extra characters, so it's also quicker to write content.
- Less chance of errors when writing in markdown.
- Produces valid XHTML output.
- Keeps the content and the visual display separate, so you cannot mess up the look of your site.
- Write in any text editor or Markdown application you like.
- Markdown is a joy to use!
John Gruber, the author of Markdown, puts it like this:
The overriding design goal for Markdown’s formatting syntax is to make it as readable as possible. The idea is that a Markdown-formatted document should be publishable as-is, as plain text, without looking like it’s been marked up with tags or formatting instructions. While Markdown’s syntax has been influenced by several existing text-to-HTML filters, the single biggest source of inspiration for Markdown’s syntax is the format of plain text email. -- John Gruber
Without further delay, let us go over the main elements of Markdown and what the resulting HTML looks like:
Headings from h1 through h6 are constructed with a # for each level:
# h1 Heading
## h2 Heading
### h3 Heading
#### h4 Heading
##### h5 Heading
###### h6 HeadingRenders to:
HTML:
<h1>h1 Heading</h1>
<h2>h2 Heading</h2>
<h3>h3 Heading</h3>
<h4>h4 Heading</h4>
<h5>h5 Heading</h5>
<h6>h6 Heading</h6>Comments should be HTML compatible
<!--
This is a comment
-->Comment below should NOT be seen:
The HTML <hr> element is for creating a "thematic break" between paragraph-level elements. In markdown, you can create a <hr> with any of the following:
___: three consecutive underscores---: three consecutive dashes***: three consecutive asterisks
renders to:
Body copy written as normal, plain text will be wrapped with <p></p> tags in the rendered HTML.
So this body copy:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, graecis denique ei vel, at duo primis mandamus. Et legere ocurreret pri, animal tacimates complectitur ad cum. Cu eum inermis inimicus efficiendi. Labore officiis his ex, soluta officiis concludaturque ei qui, vide sensibus vim ad.renders to this HTML:
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, graecis denique ei vel, at duo primis mandamus. Et legere ocurreret pri, animal tacimates complectitur ad cum. Cu eum inermis inimicus efficiendi. Labore officiis his ex, soluta officiis concludaturque ei qui, vide sensibus vim ad.</p>For emphasizing a snippet of text with a heavier font-weight.
The following snippet of text is rendered as bold text.
**rendered as bold text**renders to:
rendered as bold text
and this HTML
<strong>rendered as bold text</strong>For emphasizing a snippet of text with italics.
The following snippet of text is rendered as italicized text.
_rendered as italicized text_renders to:
rendered as italicized text
and this HTML:
<em>rendered as italicized text</em>In GFM (GitHub flavored Markdown) you can do strikethroughs.
~~Strike through this text.~~Which renders to:
Strike through this text.
HTML:
<del>Strike through this text.</del>For quoting blocks of content from another source within your document.
Add > before any text you want to quote.
> **Fusion Drive** combines a hard drive with a flash storage (solid-state drive) and presents it as a single logical volume with the space of both drives combined.Renders to:
Fusion Drive combines a hard drive with a flash storage (solid-state drive) and presents it as a single logical volume with the space of both drives combined.
and this HTML:
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Fusion Drive</strong> combines a hard drive with a flash storage (solid-state drive) and presents it as a single logical volume with the space of both drives combined.</p>
</blockquote>Blockquotes can also be nested:
> Donec massa lacus, ultricies a ullamcorper in, fermentum sed augue.
Nunc augue augue, aliquam non hendrerit ac, commodo vel nisi.
>> Sed adipiscing elit vitae augue consectetur a gravida nunc vehicula. Donec auctor
odio non est accumsan facilisis. Aliquam id turpis in dolor tincidunt mollis ac eu diam.Renders to:
Donec massa lacus, ultricies a ullamcorper in, fermentum sed augue. Nunc augue augue, aliquam non hendrerit ac, commodo vel nisi.
Sed adipiscing elit vitae augue consectetur a gravida nunc vehicula. Donec auctor odio non est accumsan facilisis. Aliquam id turpis in dolor tincidunt mollis ac eu diam.
A list of items in which the order of the items does not explicitly matter.
You may use any of the following symbols to denote bullets for each list item:
* valid bullet
- valid bullet
+ valid bulletFor example
+ Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
+ Consectetur adipiscing elit
+ Integer molestie lorem at massa
+ Facilisis in pretium nisl aliquet
+ Nulla volutpat aliquam velit
- Phasellus iaculis neque
- Purus sodales ultricies
- Vestibulum laoreet porttitor sem
- Ac tristique libero volutpat at
+ Faucibus porta lacus fringilla vel
+ Aenean sit amet erat nunc
+ Eget porttitor loremRenders to:
- Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
- Consectetur adipiscing elit
- Integer molestie lorem at massa
- Facilisis in pretium nisl aliquet
- Nulla volutpat aliquam velit
- Phasellus iaculis neque
- Purus sodales ultricies
- Vestibulum laoreet porttitor sem
- Ac tristique libero volutpat at
- Faucibus porta lacus fringilla vel
- Aenean sit amet erat nunc
- Eget porttitor lorem
And this HTML
<ul>
<li>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet</li>
<li>Consectetur adipiscing elit</li>
<li>Integer molestie lorem at massa</li>
<li>Facilisis in pretium nisl aliquet</li>
<li>Nulla volutpat aliquam velit
<ul>
<li>Phasellus iaculis neque</li>
<li>Purus sodales ultricies</li>
<li>Vestibulum laoreet porttitor sem</li>
<li>Ac tristique libero volutpat at</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Faucibus porta lacus fringilla vel</li>
<li>Aenean sit amet erat nunc</li>
<li>Eget porttitor lorem</li>
</ul>A list of items in which the order of items does explicitly matter.
1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
2. Consectetur adipiscing elit
3. Integer molestie lorem at massa
4. Facilisis in pretium nisl aliquet
5. Nulla volutpat aliquam velit
6. Faucibus porta lacus fringilla vel
7. Aenean sit amet erat nunc
8. Eget porttitor loremRenders to:
- Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
- Consectetur adipiscing elit
- Integer molestie lorem at massa
- Facilisis in pretium nisl aliquet
- Nulla volutpat aliquam velit
- Faucibus porta lacus fringilla vel
- Aenean sit amet erat nunc
- Eget porttitor lorem
And this HTML:
<ol>
<li>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet</li>
<li>Consectetur adipiscing elit</li>
<li>Integer molestie lorem at massa</li>
<li>Facilisis in pretium nisl aliquet</li>
<li>Nulla volutpat aliquam velit</li>
<li>Faucibus porta lacus fringilla vel</li>
<li>Aenean sit amet erat nunc</li>
<li>Eget porttitor lorem</li>
</ol>TIP: If you just use 1. for each number, Markdown will automatically number each item. For example:
1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
1. Consectetur adipiscing elit
1. Integer molestie lorem at massa
1. Facilisis in pretium nisl aliquet
1. Nulla volutpat aliquam velit
1. Faucibus porta lacus fringilla vel
1. Aenean sit amet erat nunc
1. Eget porttitor loremRenders to:
- Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
- Consectetur adipiscing elit
- Integer molestie lorem at massa
- Facilisis in pretium nisl aliquet
- Nulla volutpat aliquam velit
- Faucibus porta lacus fringilla vel
- Aenean sit amet erat nunc
- Eget porttitor lorem
Wrap inline snippets of code with `.
In this example, `<section></section>` should be wrapped as **code**.Renders to:
In this example, <section></section> should be wrapped with code.
HTML:
<p>In this example, <code><section></section></code> should be wrapped with <strong>code</strong>.</p>Or indent several lines of code by at least four spaces, as in:
// Some comments line 1 of code line 2 of code line 3 of code
Renders to:
// Some comments
line 1 of code
line 2 of code
line 3 of code
HTML:
<pre>
<code>
// Some comments
line 1 of code
line 2 of code
line 3 of code
</code>
</pre>Use "fences" ``` to block in multiple lines of code.
``` markup Sample text here... ```
Sample text here...
HTML:
<pre>
<code>Sample text here...</code>
</pre>GFM, or "GitHub Flavored Markdown" also supports syntax highlighting. To activate it, simply add the file extension of the language you want to use directly after the first code "fence", ```js, and syntax highlighting will automatically be applied in the rendered HTML. For example, to apply syntax highlighting to JavaScript code:
```js
grunt.initConfig({
assemble: {
options: {
assets: 'docs/assets',
data: 'src/data/*.{json,yml}',
helpers: 'src/custom-helpers.js',
partials: ['src/partials/**/*.{hbs,md}']
},
pages: {
options: {
layout: 'default.hbs'
},
files: {
'./': ['src/templates/pages/index.hbs']
}
}
}
};
```
Renders to:
grunt.initConfig({
assemble: {
options: {
assets: 'docs/assets',
data: 'src/data/*.{json,yml}',
helpers: 'src/custom-helpers.js',
partials: ['src/partials/**/*.{hbs,md}']
},
pages: {
options: {
layout: 'default.hbs'
},
files: {
'./': ['src/templates/pages/index.hbs']
}
}
}
};Tables are created by adding pipes as dividers between each cell, and by adding a line of dashes (also separated by bars) beneath the header. Note that the pipes do not need to be vertically aligned.
| Option | Description |
| ------ | ----------- |
| data | path to data files to supply the data that will be passed into templates. |
| engine | engine to be used for processing templates. Handlebars is the default. |
| ext | extension to be used for dest files. |Renders to:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| data | path to data files to supply the data that will be passed into templates. |
| engine | engine to be used for processing templates. Handlebars is the default. |
| ext | extension to be used for dest files. |
And this HTML:
<table>
<tr>
<th>Option</th>
<th>Description</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>data</td>
<td>path to data files to supply the data that will be passed into templates.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>engine</td>
<td>engine to be used for processing templates. Handlebars is the default.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ext</td>
<td>extension to be used for dest files.</td>
</tr>
</table>Adding a colon on the right side of the dashes below any heading will right align text for that column.
| Option | Description |
| ------:| -----------:|
| data | path to data files to supply the data that will be passed into templates. |
| engine | engine to be used for processing templates. Handlebars is the default. |
| ext | extension to be used for dest files. || Option | Description |
|---|---|
| data | path to data files to supply the data that will be passed into templates. |
| engine | engine to be used for processing templates. Handlebars is the default. |
| ext | extension to be used for dest files. |
[Assemble](http://assemble.io)Renders to (hover over the link, there is no tooltip):
HTML:
<a href="http://assemble.io">Assemble</a>[Upstage](https://github.com/upstage/ "Visit Upstage!")Renders to (hover over the link, there should be a tooltip):
HTML:
<a href="https://github.com/upstage/" title="Visit Upstage!">Upstage</a>Named anchors enable you to jump to the specified anchor point on the same page. For example, each of these chapters:
# Table of Contents
* [Chapter 1](#chapter-1)
* [Chapter 2](#chapter-2)
* [Chapter 3](#chapter-3)will jump to these sections:
### Chapter 1 <a id="chapter-1"></a>
Content for chapter one.
### Chapter 2 <a id="chapter-2"></a>
Content for chapter one.
### Chapter 3 <a id="chapter-3"></a>
Content for chapter one.NOTE that specific placement of the anchor tag seems to be arbitrary. They are placed inline here since it seems to be unobtrusive, and it works.
Images have a similar syntax to links but include a preceding exclamation point.
and using a local image (which also displays in GitHub):
Lorem markdownum in maior in corpore ingeniis: causa clivo est. Rogata Veneri terrebant habentem et oculos fornace primusque et pomaria et videri putri, levibus. Sati est novi tenens aut nitidum pars, spectabere favistis prima et capillis in candida spicis; sub tempora, aliquo.
Lorem markdownum vides aram est sui istis excipis Danai elusaque manu fores. Illa hunc primo pinum pertulit conplevit portusque pace tacuit sincera. Iam tamen licentia exsulta patruelibus quam, deorum capit; vultu. Est Philomela qua sanguine fremit rigidos teneri cacumina anguis hospitio incidere sceptroque telum spectatorem at aequor.
Lorem markdownum vides aram est sui istis excipis Danai elusaque manu fores. Illa hunc primo pinum pertulit conplevit portusque pace tacuit sincera. Iam tamen licentia exsulta patruelibus quam, deorum capit; vultu. Est Philomela qua sanguine fremit rigidos teneri cacumina anguis hospitio incidere sceptroque telum spectatorem at aequor.
Lorem markdownum murmure fidissime suumque. Nivea agris, duarum longaeque Ide rugis Bacchum patria tuus dea, sum Thyneius liquor, undique. Nimium nostri vidisset fluctibus mansit limite rigebant; enim satis exaudi attulit tot lanificae indice Tridentifer laesum. Movebo et fugit, limenque per ferre graves causa neque credi epulasque isque celebravit pisces.
- Iasone filum nam rogat
- Effugere modo esse
- Comminus ecce nec manibus verba Persephonen taxo
- Viribus Mater
- Bello coeperunt viribus ultima fodiebant volentem spectat
- Pallae tempora
De obstruat, cautes captare Iovem dixit gloria barba statque. Purpureum quid puerum dolosae excute, debere prodest ignes, per Zanclen pedes! Ipsa ea tepebat, fiunt, Actoridaeque super perterrita pulverulenta. Quem ira gemit hastarum sucoque, idem invidet qui possim mactatur insidiosa recentis, res te totumque Capysque! Modo suos, cum parvo coniuge, iam sceleris inquit operatus, abundet excipit has.
In locumque perque infelix hospite parente adducto aequora Ismarios, feritatis. Nomine amantem nexibus te secum, genitor est nervo! Putes similisque festumque. Dira custodia nec antro inornatos nota aris, ducere nam genero, virtus rite.
- Citius chlamydis saepe colorem paludosa territaque amoris
- Hippolytus interdum
- Ego uterque tibi canis
- Tamen arbore trepidosque
Conlapsa tamen innectens spes, in Tydides studio in puerili quod. Ab natis non est aevi esse riget agmenque nutrit fugacis.
- Coortis vox Pylius namque herbosas tuae excedere
- Tellus terribilem saetae Echinadas arbore digna
- Erraverit lectusque teste fecerat
Suoque descenderat illi; quaeritur ingens cum periclo quondam flaventibus onus caelum fecit bello naides ceciderunt cladis, enim. Sunt aliquis.
Lorem markdownum saxum et telum revellere in victus vultus cogamque ut quoque spectat pestiferaque siquid me molibus, mihi. Terret hinc quem Phoebus? Modo se cunctatus sidera. Erat avidas tamen antiquam; ignes igne Pelates morte non caecaque canam Ancaeo contingat militis concitus, ad!
Totos utinamque nutricis. Lycaona cum non sine vocatur tellus campus insignia et absumere pennas Cythereiadasque pericula meritumque Martem longius ait moras aspiciunt fatorum. Famulumque volvitur vultu terrae ut querellas hosti deponere et dixit est; in pondus fonte desertum. Condidit moras, Carpathius viros, tuta metum aethera occuluit merito mente tenebrosa et videtur ut Amor et una sonantia. Fuit quoque victa et, dum ora rapinae nec ipsa avertere lata, profugum hectora candidus!
Quo sic duae oculorum indignos pater, vis non veni arma pericli! Ita illos nitidique! Ignavo tibi in perdam, est tu precantia fuerat revelli.
Non Tmolus concussit propter, et setae tum, quod arida, spectata agitur, ferax, super. Lucemque adempto, et At tulit navem blandas, et quid rex, inducere? Plebe plus cum ignes nondum, fata sum arcus lustraverat tantis!
Sit paene iactantem suos turbineo Dorylas heros, triumphos aquis pavit. Formatae res Aeolidae nomen. Nolet avum quique summa cacumine dei malum solus.
- Mansit post ambrosiae terras
- Est habet formidatis grandior promissa femur nympharum
- Maestae flumina
- Sit more Trinacris vitasset tergo domoque
- Anxia tota tria
- Est quo faece nostri in fretum gurgite
Themis susurro tura collo: cunas setius norat, Calydon. Hyaenam terret credens habenas communia causas vocat fugamque roganti Eleis illa ipsa id est madentis loca: Ampyx si quis. Videri grates trifida letum talia pectus sequeretur erat ignescere eburno e decolor terga.
Note: Example page content from GetGrav.org, included to demonstrate the portability of Markdown-based content