commonmark/commonmark-spec

Features

• Markdown Specification Standards - Establishes the definitive set of rules for parsing plain text into consistent HTML output.
• Formal Grammar Specifications - Defines the formal technical specifications of the markdown language syntax using algorithmic prose and unambiguous rules.
• Markdown Parsers - Provides a formal specification and reference logic for engines that interpret markdown syntax.
• Parser Conformance Testing - Includes a comprehensive conformance suite to validate that markdown parsers adhere strictly to the specification.
• Markdown to HTML Renderers - Converts parsed markdown into compliant HTML output for consistent visual presentation.
• Markup Syntax Standardization - Provides a detailed grammar specification to ensure consistent rendering across different platforms.
• Language Standard Specifications - Serves as the authoritative formal definition of syntax and behavior for the markdown format.
• Multi-Phase Parsing - Utilizes a two-phase parsing model to decouple structural block identification from inline text formatting.
• Unicode Normalization - Standardizes input text by expanding tabs and normalizing characters to ensure consistent parsing and rendering.
• Abstract Syntax Tree Parsing - Implements a structured tree representation to analyze the relationships between document elements during parsing.
• Document Object Models - Establishes a leaf-and-container hierarchy to organize document layout and structural relationships.
• Text Input Normalizers - Normalizes input by expanding tabs and replacing insecure Unicode characters to ensure predictable rendering.
• Syntax Parsing Engines - Provides the engine logic to convert raw text into structured syntax trees or HTML.
• Markup Rendering Rules - Defines the precise rules for rendering headers, lists, and code blocks to maintain document hierarchy.
• ATX Headings - Defines document headings from levels 1 through 6 using hash characters at the start of a line.
• Code Block Embedding - Supports the inclusion of verbatim source code segments using backtick or tilde fences with optional language labels.
• Reference Link Registries - Implements a reference-based system for managing reusable hyperlinks and images via unique labels.
• Setext Headings - Defines level 1 or 2 headings by underlining a line of text with equals or hyphen characters.
• Inline HTML Integration - Identifies inline HTML tags, attributes, and comments to be rendered without escaping.
• Semantic Line Breaks - Defines rules to determine whether newlines should be rendered as hard breaks or soft wraps in the final output.
• Parsing Priority Rules - Prioritizes structural block elements over inline formatting to ensure consistent document layout.
• Reference Implementations - Provides standard-compliant parsers in C and JavaScript as a model for correct implementation.
• Syntax Escaping - Implements backslash-based escaping to treat punctuation as literal text and prevent it from being parsed as markup.
• Block Level Parsing Rules - Standardizes the logic for identifying structural block elements like paragraphs and headings.
• Markup Validation Suites - Includes a parser conformance suite to verify that implementations adhere to the specification.
• Standard Compliance Certification Testing - Provides an automated verification suite to certify that parser implementations adhere to the formal specification.
• Implementation Validation Suites - Provides a standardized test suite to verify that parser implementations are compliant with the formal specification.
• Quote Blocks - Implements block-level elements for citations and excerpts using the greater-than symbol.
• Inline Code Spans - Provides syntax for wrapping short fragments of literal text in backtick delimiters to prevent formatting.
• Rich Text Styling - Standardizes the use of asterisks and underscores to create bold and italic text formatting.
• Thematic Break Elements - Defines structural elements for thematic breaks using sequences of asterisks, underscores, or hyphens.
• Block HTML Embedding - Recognizes raw HTML tags and comments as block-level elements that bypass standard parsing.
• Paragraph Elements - Groups sequences of non-blank lines into structural blocks for inline element parsing.
• Nested Lists - Supports ordered and bulleted lists with hierarchical nesting and variable indentation.
• General Libraries - C implementation of the CommonMark specification.
• General Purpose Libraries - C implementation of the CommonMark specification.
• Windows Environments - Listed in the “Windows Environments” section of the Awesome C awesome list.

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