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GFM

GitHub-flavored Markdown, or GFM, is a version of Markdown that was developed by GitHub for use on its platform. It is based on the original Markdown syntax developed by John Gruber, but includes a number of additional features and syntax elements that are not found in Standard Markdown.

Additional features

Some examples of the additional features and syntax elements provided by GFM include:

  • Task lists: Allows users to create task lists using the - [ ] and - [x] syntax.

  • Tables: Allows users to create tables using the | and - syntax.

  • Emoji: Allows users to insert emoji using the :emoji_name: syntax.

  • Automatic linking: Automatically turns URLs and email addresses into links.

  • Strikethrough: Allows users to strike through text using the ~ syntax.

GFM is widely used on GitHub, and is also supported by a number of other tools and platforms. It is a popular choice for formatting documents and other text-based content, due to its simplicity and the wide range of formatting options it provides.

Additonal resources

Here are a few good tutorials and references for learning GitHub-flavored Markdown (GFM):

  1. GitHub's official documentation: GitHub's documentation includes a comprehensive guide to GFM, including a syntax reference and examples of how to use GFM to format documents. You can find the documentation here: https://docs.github.com/en/free-pro-team@latest/github/writing-on-github/basic-writing-and-formatting-syntax

  2. The Markdown Guide: The Markdown Guide is a comprehensive online resource for learning Markdown, including GFM. It includes a syntax reference, examples, and tips for using Markdown effectively. You can find the guide here: https://www.markdownguide.org/

  3. The GitHub Markdown Cheat Sheet: This cheat sheet is a quick reference guide to the syntax and features of GFM. It is a useful resource for looking up the syntax for specific formatting options or features. You can find the cheat sheet here: https://guides.github.com/pdfs/markdown-cheatsheet-online.pdf

  4. "Mastering Markdown" on GitHub Learning Lab: This is a free online course offered by GitHub that teaches the basics of GFM and how to use it to format documents on GitHub. You can find the course here: https://lab.github.com/courses/mastering-markdown