What is a .MARKDOWN file?
A .MARKDOWN file is a type of text document that uses the Markdown language, which is a simple way to format text. This file format allows you to add formatting elements such as bold text, italics, headers, and indentation using plain text symbols. For example, you can make text bold by surrounding it with asterisks (*bold*). The main purpose of MARKDOWN files is to create documentation that is easy to read in plain text form but can also be converted into HTML, which is the language used for creating web pages.
You can open MARKDOWN files with various text editing programs. Some of the common programs that can open these files include: - **Vim**: A powerful text editor used in many operating systems. - **GNU Emacs**: Another comprehensive text editor. - **Microsoft Notepad**: A simple text editor included with Windows operating systems. - **Notepad++**: A free text editor for Windows that supports multiple programming languages. - **gVim**: The graphical version of Vim. - **MacroMates TextMate**: A text editor for macOS. - **Apple TextEdit**: A text editor included with macOS. - **Daring Fireball Markdown**: This is not a program but refers to the original version of Markdown developed by John Gruber. You can find tools and information about Markdown at the Daring Fireball website.
Markdown files are particularly useful in software development and documentation because they can be integrated with version control systems like GitHub. For example, many projects on GitHub have a file named README.markdown that provides important information about the project. This format is beneficial because it allows developers to track changes to the documentation alongside the source code.
Additionally, there is a Perl program available that can convert Markdown files to HTML. This program can be downloaded from the Daring Fireball website, which is maintained by John Gruber, the creator of Markdown.
It's important to note that Markdown files can also have other extensions like .MD, .MARKDN, and .MDOWN, but the most common are ".markdown" and ".md".
Verification
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