Markdown Reference

Basic Syntax

PaperQuire supports standard Markdown syntax for formatting text. The table below summarizes the most common elements.

Headings support levels 1 through 6, corresponding to # through ######. Use a single blank line before and after headings for best results.

Blockquotes can be nested by stacking > characters:

> First level
> > Nested blockquote

Lists

Markdown supports three kinds of lists: bullet (unordered), numbered (ordered), and task lists.

Bullet Lists

Use - or * followed by a space. Indent with two spaces for nested items.

- First item
- Second item
  - Nested item
  - Another nested item
- Third item

Numbered Lists

Start each line with a number and a period. The actual numbers do not need to be sequential — Markdown will auto-number them.

1. First step
2. Second step
3. Third step
   1. Sub-step A
   2. Sub-step B

Task Lists

Add [ ] for an unchecked item or [x] for a checked item after the list marker.

- [x] Write the introduction
- [x] Add screenshots
- [ ] Final review
- [ ] Publish

Code

Inline Code

Wrap text in single backticks to display it as inline code:

Use the `render()` function to generate output.

Fenced Code Blocks

Use triple backticks (```) to create a code block. Add a language identifier after the opening backticks to enable syntax highlighting.

```javascript
function greet(name) {
  return `Hello, ${name}!`;
}
```

Supported Languages

PaperQuire supports syntax highlighting for many languages, including:

Tables

Create tables using pipes (|) and hyphens (-). The second row defines column alignment.

| Name       | Role          | Status   |
|:-----------|:-------------:|---------:|
| Alice      | Developer     | Active   |
| Bob        | Designer      | Active   |
| Carol      | PM            | On leave |

Alignment options in the separator row:

Tables auto-format in the preview pane. You do not need to align the pipes perfectly in your source — PaperQuire handles the formatting.

Callouts

PaperQuire supports Obsidian-style callout blocks using the > [!type] syntax inside a blockquote. Callouts are useful for drawing attention to important information.

> [!note]
> This is a note callout. Use it for general information.

> [!tip]
> Helpful advice goes here.

> [!warning]
> Proceed with caution.

> [!danger]
> Critical information — do not ignore.

Supported callout types:

Mermaid Diagrams

Embed diagrams directly in your Markdown using ```mermaid fenced code blocks. PaperQuire renders them as SVG graphics in the preview and in exported PDFs.

Flowchart Example

```mermaid
graph TD
    A[Start] --> B{Decision}
    B --> |Yes| C[Do something]
    B --> |No| D[Do something else]
    C --> E[End]
    D --> E
```

Supported Diagram Types

• Flowcharts — graph TD or graph LR
• Sequence diagrams — sequenceDiagram
• Gantt charts — gantt
• Pie charts — pie
• Class diagrams — classDiagram
• State diagrams — stateDiagram-v2
• ER diagrams — erDiagram

Front Matter

Add YAML front matter between --- delimiters at the very top of your document to set metadata. Front matter must be the first thing in the file with no blank lines before it.

---
title: Quarterly Report
author: Jane Smith
date: 2026-06-22
template: report
---

# Quarterly Report

Document content starts here...

Supported Fields

Variables

Define variables in the front matter and reference them anywhere in your document using double curly braces: {{variable}}. This is useful for values that appear in multiple places, such as project names, version numbers, or dates.

---
title: Release Notes
project: PaperQuire
version: 2.4.0
release_date: 2026-06-22
---

# {{project}} v{{version}}

Released on {{release_date}}.

Welcome to **{{project}}** version {{version}}. This release
includes the following changes...

Variables are replaced at render time. If a variable is referenced but not defined in the front matter, the placeholder text is left as-is in the output.

Emoji Shortcodes

Type an emoji shortcode between colons to insert an emoji character. PaperQuire supports standard GitHub-style emoji shortcodes.

:wave: Hello!
:white_check_mark: Task complete
:warning: Be careful
:rocket: Launching soon
:bulb: Here's an idea

Common Shortcodes

For a full list of supported shortcodes, refer to the GitHub Emoji Cheat Sheet.