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Lesson 01 – Markdown Fundamentals

Prerequisites: Before diving in, review Lesson 00 – Visualizing with Mermaid to map out the flows you'll document.

Markdown is a lightweight syntax for adding formatting to plain text. Nearly every file in this curriculum is written in Markdown so you can easily track changes in Git and convert the final versions to PDFs.

1. Why Markdown?

  • Readable: Even without conversion, the text is easy to read.
  • Portable: Works across GitHub, GitLab, and documentation tools.
  • Flexible: Supports code blocks, images, and even diagrams with Mermaid.

2. Basic Syntax

Headings

Create section headings using # characters: 

# Top Level Heading
## Second Level
### Third Level

Emphasis

Add emphasis with asterisks or underscores: 

*italic*  **bold**  ~~strikethrough~~

Lists

Numbered and bullet lists keep information organized: 

1. First item
2. Second item

- Bullet one
- Bullet two

Insert links with [text](URL) and images with ![alt](path): 

[Innovation Studio](https://github.com/Cortado-Group/innovation_studio)

![Example Diagram](../media/sample.png)

Code Blocks

Use triple backticks for code: 

print("Hello, Markdown!")

3. Extended Features

  • Blockquotes begin with > for quotes or callouts.
  • Tables use | to align rows and columns.
  • Mermaid diagrams allow flowcharts right inside your .md files.

4. Previewing Markdown

GitHub and modern editors preview Markdown automatically. For advanced diagrams, install a Mermaid plugin or use mermaid.live.

Learning Markdown will make all of your documentation clearer and easier to maintain. Keep this cheat sheet handy as you contribute to the Innovation Studio projects.

Next Up

Kick off coding with Lesson 02 – Python Basics.