# Kramdown Specification

Check out the Markdown Dingus to experiment with the Kramdown processor.

Contents

- What is Kramdown?
- Key Characteristics
- Major Differences from Standard Markdown
- Kramdown vs Other Markdown Flavors
- Key Advantages of Kramdown
- Common Use Cases
- Resources
- Migration from Standard Markdown
- Best Practices

## What is Kramdown?

Kramdown is a fast, pure-Ruby Markdown-superset converter that extends the original Markdown syntax with features found in other implementations like Maruku, PHP Markdown Extra, and Pandoc. It provides a strict syntax with definite rules while maintaining compatibility with most Markdown documents.

## Key Characteristics

- Fast and Pure Ruby: Written entirely in Ruby for performance and portability
- Strict Syntax: Provides definite rules and clear specifications
- Enhanced Features: Includes many extensions not found in standard Markdown
- Jekyll Integration: Default Markdown processor for Jekyll static site generator
- Comprehensive: Supports both block-level and span-level elements with extensive customization

## Major Differences from Standard Markdown

### 1. Enhanced Block-Level Elements

Definition Lists

- Kramdown supports definition lists (not in standard Markdown)

    Term 1
    : Definition 1

    Term 2
    : Definition 2a
    : Definition 2b

- Uses `:` to separate terms from definitions Tables
- Full table support with headers, alignment, and formatting

    | Header 1 | Header 2 | Header 3 |
    | :------- | :------: | -------: |
    | Left     |  Center  |    Right |
    | Aligned  | Aligned  |  Aligned |

- More comprehensive than basic Markdown table syntax Math Blocks
- Support for mathematical expressions using LaTeX syntax

    Inline math: $E = mc^2$

    Block math:
    $$
    \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} e^{-x^2} dx = \sqrt{\pi}
    $$

- Both inline and block math support

### 2. Advanced Text Markup

Footnotes

- Full footnote support with automatic numbering

    This is a sentence with a footnote[^1].

    [^1]: This is the footnote content.

- Reference-style footnotes with `[^1]` syntax Abbreviations
- Support for HTML-style abbreviations

    This uses HTML and CSS.

- Automatic expansion of defined abbreviations Typographic Symbols
- Automatic conversion of common typographic characters

    "Smart quotes" and -- em dashes -- and ... ellipses
    Even << guillemets >>

- Smart quotes, em dashes, ellipses, etc.

### 3. Attribute Lists and Extensions

Attribute List Definitions (ALDs)

- Define reusable attribute sets

    A paragraph with attributes.

    {: #para-one .highlight}

- Support for IDs, classes, and custom attributes Inline Attribute Lists (IALs)
- Attach attributes to specific elements

    This *is*{:.underline} some `code`{:#id}{:.class}.
    A [link](test.html){:rel='something'} and some **tools**{:.tools}.

- Both block-level and span-level support Extensions
- Custom extension system for additional functionality

    {::comment}
    This text is completely ignored by kramdown.

    {:/comment}

    {::options key="val" /}

- Built-in extensions for comments and options

### 4. Enhanced Code Block Support

Language Specification

- Automatic syntax highlighting for fenced code blocks

      def hello
        puts "Hello, World!"
      end

- Support for many programming languages

Standard Code Blocks

- Improved handling of indented code blocks
- Better integration with other block elements

### 5. Stricter Parsing Rules

Line Wrapping

- Support for hard-wrapped content (lazy syntax)
- Clear rules for when line wrapping is allowed
- Not recommended for readability but supported for compatibility Tab Handling
- Assumes tab stops at multiples of four
- Tabs only allowed at beginning of lines for indentation
- Must not be preceded by spaces Block Boundaries
- Clear rules for when elements must start/end on block boundaries
- Consistent behavior across different element types

### 6. Advanced Link and Image Support

Automatic Links

- Enhanced automatic link detection
- Better handling of URLs and email addresses Reference Links
- Improved reference link processing
- Better conflict resolution for multiple definitions Image Attributes
- Support for image attributes through IALs

    ![Alt text](image.jpg)

- Width, height, alt text, and other HTML attributes

### 7. HTML Integration

HTML Blocks

- Better handling of HTML within Markdown
- Support for HTML attributes and processing
- More flexible than standard Markdown HTML handling HTML Spans
- Inline HTML with attribute support
- Better integration with Markdown syntax

### 8. Mathematical Expressions

Inline Math

- `$...$` syntax for inline mathematical expressions
- LaTeX-compatible syntax Block Math
- `$$...$$` syntax for block mathematical expressions
- Support for complex equations and formulas

## Kramdown vs Other Markdown Flavors

Feature | Kramdown | CommonMark (GFM) | GitHub Flavored | MultiMarkdown | Standard
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Strikethrough | No | Yes | No | No | No
Task Lists | No | No | Yes | Yes | No
Fenced Code | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No
Math | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No
Footnotes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No
Definition Lists | Yes | No | No | Yes | No
Abbreviations | Yes | No | No | No | No
Attribute Lists | Yes | No | No | No | No
Typography | Yes | No | No | Yes | No

## Key Advantages of Kramdown

1. Comprehensive Feature Set: Includes many extensions not found in other implementations
2. Jekyll Integration: Seamless integration with Jekyll static site generator
3. Ruby Ecosystem: Pure Ruby implementation with good Ruby tooling support
4. Extensibility: Custom extension system for additional functionality
5. Attribute Support: Rich attribute system for HTML output customization
6. Mathematical Support: Built-in support for LaTeX math expressions
7. Strict Parsing: Clear, unambiguous parsing rules

## Common Use Cases

Jekyll Sites

- Default processor for Jekyll static site generation
- Excellent for documentation and blog sites Technical Documentation
- Math support for scientific and technical writing
- Attribute lists for advanced HTML customization Academic Writing
- Footnote support for citations and references
- Mathematical expressions for formulas and equations Content Management
- Extensions for custom functionality
- Attribute lists for metadata and styling

## Resources

- Kramdown Syntax Documentation
- Kramdown Converter Documentation
- Jekyll Integration Guide
- Kramdown GitHub Repository

## Migration from Standard Markdown

Most standard Markdown documents work with Kramdown without modification. To take advantage of Kramdown’s features:

1. Add Definition Lists: Convert glossaries and term lists
2. Use Attribute Lists: Add IDs, classes, and custom attributes
3. Implement Footnotes: Convert parenthetical references

## Best Practices

1. Avoid Lazy Syntax: Don’t rely on hard-wrapping for readability
2. Use Attribute Lists: Leverage IALs for styling and metadata
3. Consistent Indentation: Use spaces instead of tabs when possible

This documentation covers Kramdown 2.5.1. For the most current information, always refer to the official documentation at kramdown.gettalong.org.

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