.. _markdown-introduction:

*********************
Markdown Introduction
*********************

What is Markdown?
=================

.. image:: https://www.fullstackpython.com/img/logos/markdown.png
   :target: https://www.fullstackpython.com/img/logos/markdown.png
   :alt: Markdown Logo

**A text file format that is easy to use and read - perfect for research reports!**

Markdown is derived from **HTML**, which makes up much of the websites you visit on a daily basis. Because of that, Markdown is used to format user-submitted content on many websites, like Github.

Why use Markdown?
-----------------

* Markdown is *easy to read*, even when unformatted.
* Markdown is an *open source format*, unlike Microsoft Word. Anyone can
  create and edit Markdown files without paying for software, fulfilling
  AguaClara's devotion to open source software.
* Markdown is *easy to write*. You won't have to worry about line spacing,
  margins, or anything else that makes Word documents difficult to use!