Adding Links and Formatting to Text

Markdown adds formatting and links to your text through a series of simple tags.  Tagging is supported in the following Collaborative items:

  • Annotations
  • Expert Analysis
  • Comments
  • Alert messages

Only the tags detailed below are supported in Metric Insights.  Other tags, such as those found here, are not supported.  

1. Common Syntax

The following examples show the most commonly used markdown tags that are supported.

1.1. Basic formatting

 

For the following formatting, surround words with:

  • Italics:  A single asterisk \* or underscore \_ to *italicize* something.
  • Bold: Double asterisk \** or underscore \__ to **bold** something.
  • Bold/Italics: Triple asterisk \*** or underscore \___ to ___bold and italicize___ something.

NOTE: Be sure to there are no spaces between the symbols and the text they are highlighting and no carriage returns within the text.

The following markdown code inserted, for example, in a Comment, produces the formatted text as shown below:

Use one \* for *italics* and two \** for **bold** and three \*** for ***bold and italics***

1.2. Special Characters

To include special characters, precede them with a backslash "\".   Only the special character itself, not the backslash, will show in the text.  More than ONE special character may follow a single backslash.

The following markdown code inserted, for example, in a Comment, displays special characters as shown below:

Example\: & ampersand \# pound sign

Links are made clickable by putting the desired text in brackets [text here] and enclosing the link in parenthesis (link here)

The following markdown code inserted, for example, in a Comment on an Alert, produces the active link as shown below:

For example, here is a friendly looking link to reach the [Metric Insights website](http://www.metricinsights.com)  

3. Text Blocks

Use three tick marks ``` on a line before and on a line after the text to create a code block that is shaded in red and contains red text

The following markdown code inserted, for example, in an Annotation produces the Code Block shown below

```
enter code block text here
it will be formatted with red text and a shaded background
notice you don't have to skip lines to get a carriage return
```

4. Other tags

4.1. Lines

Lines, or horizontal rules are created by using three symbols together.

The following markdown code inserted, for example, in an Expert Analysis, produces four lines as shown below:

Lines, or horizontal rules are created with three symbols together: 
***
---
___
- - - -

4.2. Monospaced  

Use a single tick mark ` to produce a monospaced font

IMPORTANT:  Be sure to there are no spaces between the symbols and the text they are highlighting and no carriage returns within the text.

A single tick mark \` will give you a `monospaced font`