What is Converting Markdown to HTML?

When creating content for the web, we often hear about Markdown and HTML. These two formats play an important role in presenting text on the Internet. But what exactly is “converting Markdown to HTML”? Why do we need to perform this task? Let’s explore the details in the article below.

What is Markdown?

Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber in 2004. It was designed to simplify writing and reading formatted text with basic elements such as: headings, lists, bold, italic, links, images, and more.

Markdown syntax is very easy to remember, intuitive, and close to how we naturally write text. For example:

# Heading 1
## Heading 2
**Bold text**
*Italic text*
- List item
[Link](https://tiemgiamgia.com)

What is HTML?

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard markup language for creating and displaying content on web pages. HTML uses tags to define the structure of content such as paragraphs (<p>), headings (<h1>, <h2>, etc.), links (<a>), lists (<ul>, <li>), images (<img>), and many other elements.

Here’s the HTML equivalent of the Markdown example above:

<h1>Heading 1</h1>
<h2>Heading 2</h2>
<strong>Bold text</strong>
<em>Italic text</em>
<ul>
  <li>List item</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://tiemgiamgia.com">Link</a>

What is Converting Markdown to HTML?

Converting Markdown to HTML means translating text written in Markdown syntax into corresponding HTML code so that web browsers can properly understand and display the content.

Markdown is designed to be easy for humans to read, but web browsers cannot interpret Markdown directly. Therefore, before publishing Markdown content on the web, we need to convert it into HTML.

Why Do We Need to Convert Markdown to HTML?

• Proper rendering in browsers: Browsers can only understand and render HTML, not Markdown.
• Save time on drafting: Markdown allows for quick and clean writing, and then can be automatically converted into HTML.
• Preserve programming capabilities: After conversion, you can easily add CSS and JavaScript to customize the design and functionality.
• Optimize SEO: HTML allows inserting important SEO elements such as heading tags, image alt attributes, etc.

Popular Tools for Converting Markdown to HTML

• Online Markdown Editors: StackEdit, Dillinger, Markable, etc.
• Programming Libraries:
  • JavaScript: marked.js, showdown.js
  • Python: markdown package
  • PHP: Parsedown
• CMS that Support Markdown: WordPress (with plugins), Ghost, Hugo, etc.

Real-World Example

Suppose you write a blog post using Markdown:

# Welcome to my blog!
Today, I will share about **Markdown** and how it makes content writing easier.

After converting to HTML:

<h1>Welcome to my blog!</h1>
<p>Today, I will share about <strong>Markdown</strong> and how it makes content writing easier.</p>

And the browser will beautifully display it for readers.

Conclusion

Converting Markdown to HTML is an important step that bridges the simplicity of drafting content with the rich presentation capabilities of the web. With the help of modern tools, this process becomes incredibly fast and easy. If you often write content for websites, learning to work with both Markdown and HTML will be an extremely valuable skill!