Markdown Header Examples

Using Flexmark in Stata

Doug Hemken

May 2018

A header, like a paragraph, is a container block and any inline markdown may be used within it.

Headers may be written in two different styles, setext headers which are marked up with "underscores", and ATX headers which are marked up with hash marks ("#").

Setext headers are denoted with "underscores" (actually, at least 3 equal signs or dashes on the next line of text). The text line of a setext header must usually be preceded by a blank line, it cannot "interrupt" a paragraph.

Written:
```
Header 1
========
Header 2
---
```
Rendered:

Header 1

Header 2

However, no blank line is needed after another header, after a fenced code block, or after an indented code block.

A blank line is required after a block quote, a list item, or a table in order to prevent it from being interpreted as a lazy header.
```
~~~
summarize z
~~~
After a code fence
---
    generate y = x
After indented code
---

-----
After a theme break
---
> Quoted text.

After a block quote
---
- item 1

After a list item
---
column 1 | column 2
---------|---------
value 1  | value 2

After a table
---
```
```
summarize z
```
After a code fence
```
generate y = x
```
After indented code

After a theme break

Quoted text.

After a block quote
- item 1
After a list item

column 1 column 2

value 1 value 2

After a table

(Rules for finding the beginning of a setext header differ slightly in pegdown after a paragraph, and after a theme break in both pegdown and pandoc.)

In flexmark, no preceding blank line is needed at the beginning of a document or the beginning of a blockquote. Oddly, a setext header cannot be the first element in a list item, but can appear in a later paragraph within the list item.
```
~~~
> Within a blockquote
> ---

- item 1

    Header 2
    ---
~~~
```
Within a blockquote
- item 1
  Header 2
ATX headers are denoted with "hash" marks ("#") and a space, before the header text. Up to six levels of headers are supported in HTML. No preceding or trailing blank line required in this style, with the exception of block quotes (and headers after list items are interpreted within the item in pegdown and pandoc).

Written:
```
# Header 1
## Header 2
### Header 3
#### Header 4
##### Header 5
###### Header 6
####### no header 7 in HTML
```
Rendered:

Header 1

Header 2

Header 3

Header 4

Header 5

Header 6

# no header 7 in HTML
```
~~~
summarize z
~~~
#### After a code fence
    generate y = x
#### After indented code

-----
#### After a theme break
> Quoted text.

#### After a block quote
- item 1
#### After a list item
column 1 | column 2
---------|---------
value 1  | value 2
#### After a table
~~~
```
```
summarize z
```
After a code fence
```
generate y = x
```
After indented code

After a theme break

Quoted text.

After a block quote
- item 1
After a list item

column 1 column 2

value 1 value 2

After a table

column 1	column 2
value 1	value 2

column 1	column 2
value 1	value 2

Inlines within headers

*Emphatic* **Strong** ~~Strikethrough~~ `Code`
---
#### `Code` ~~Strikethrough~~ **Strong** _Emphasis_

Emphatic Strong Strikethrough `Code`

`Code` Strikethrough Strong Emphasis

Headers may appear within
- Blockquotes. Written:
```
> ### Quoted header
```
  Rendered:
  
  Quoted header
- Lists, written:
```
* ### Item 1
* ### Item 2
```
  Rendered:
  - Item 1
  - Item 2