Learning a new markup language can feel like entering a strange city. But every ‘Markup City’ is built on the same four pillars. If you find these, you can master any language.
1. The Strike (Emphasis)
How does the language handle Bold, Italics, and Code? This is the heartbeat of any text.
2. The Hierarchy (Headings)
How do we define the levels of thought? Is it a # (Markdown), an = (Typst), or an <h1> (HTML)?
3. The Relationship (Lists and Links)
How do points connect to each other? Look for the syntax for bullet points and hyper-links.
4. The Escape (Special Characters)
Every language has ‘magic’ characters. How do you tell the language: ‘No, I literally want a $ sign, don’t start a math formula!’? (Usually a backslash \).
Master these four, and you can forge a document in any language within an hour.
Forged in the terminal. Refined under the anvil.