Working with README.md on github.com [closed]

Question

I am not too familiar with the lightweight markup language used by github when updating README files.

Where are the resources which I can read up on how to write the appropriate markup syntax for my open source library's README/wiki files?

And is there a tool which I can "review my docs locally in my browser" before pushing the updated README to my github repository?

Answer 1

The markup in question is coincidentally called Markdown, created by John Gruber, author of the Daring Fireball blog. The original source of Markdown can be found at Daring Fireball - Markdown.

There are many Markdown dialects, the documentation for Github's can be found on the Github Flavored Markdown page.

nice tip from that page:

press M on any Github page with a Markdown editor to reveal the cheatsheet.

You can also use the Github Markdown Live Preview page to test your Markdown documents.

Update 2012-11-08: Efforts are underway to standardize the Markdown syntax. See The Future of Markdown - Jeff Atwood, Coding Horror and W3C Markdown Community Group.

Update 2014-09-09: CommonMark a markdown standard and spec has been released.