Markdown is a text-to-HTML conversion writer. It enables you to write using an easy to read, easy to write plain text format, then convert it to structurally valid XHTML (or HTML). The main objective of Markdown’s formatting is to keep content as readable as possible. Various CMS and web applications like Mediawiki uses markdown as the default content editor. Whereas WordPress uses visual editor and HTML text editor as default post editors. In this tutorial we will show you how you can transform WordPress visual editor to a simple Markdown editor.
Following screenshot shows you text using Markdown syntax on the left, the corresponding HTML produced by a Markdown processor in the centre, and the text viewed in a browser on the right:
How To Start Using Markdown Editor In WordPress?
There are many markdown editor plugins available in WordPress plugin repository. In this tutorial we have chosen two plugins:
- Typewriter Markdown Editor Plugin
- PrettyPress Markdown Editor Plugin
Typewriter:
Simply install and activate Typewriter plugin and that’s it. Upon activation it completely removes the WordPress Visual Editor and replaces it with a new simple Markdown editor so that you can use the simple and growingly popular Markdown format.
You can learn more about Markdown formatting at whatismarkdown.com. And remember when you deactivate the plugin, your content will not be parsed by MarkdownExtra anymore and will appear same it does in the text editor. In this case you will be needing to convert the Markdown content of your website to normal HTML.
PrettyPress:
PrettyPress is an MIT licensed WordPress plugin that focuses on simplifying the default WordPress publishing layout. It aims to be simple and encourage users to focus on writing – without other unnecessary distractions. It provides you a very good markdown editor with live post preview feature.
Install and activate it. After activation visit your admin area dashboard Settings -> PrettyPress page and make sure that the markdown editor and its editing screen is enabled.
Now visit ADD NEW/EDIT post screen and you will be noticing ‘PrettyPress’ metabox added on the right. Clicking the ‘Lauch PrettyPress’ button opens the PrettyPress live preview mode. To start using markdown editor, first launch the PrettyPress, click Markdown editor tab and start writing your post with markdown formatting tags.