00001007040100.zettel

title: Zettelmarkup: Text Formatting
tags: #manual #zettelmarkup #zettelstore
syntax: zmk
role: manual

Text formatting is the way to make your text visually different.
Every text formatting element starts with two same characters.
It ends when these two same characters occur the second time.
It is possible that some [[attributes|00001007050000]] follow immediately, without any separating character.

Text formatting can be nested, up to a reasonable limit.

The following characters start a text formatting:

* The slash character (""''/''"", ''U+002F'') emphasizes its text. Often, such text is rendered in italics. If the default attribute is specified, the emphasized text is not just rendered as such, but also internally marked as emphasized.
** Example: ``abc //def// ghi`` is rendered in HTML as: ::abc //def// ghi::{=example}.
** Example: ``abc //def//{-} ghi`` is rendered in HTML as: ::abc //def//{-} ghi::{=example}.
* The asterisk character (""''*''"", ''U+002A'') strongly emphasized its enclosed text. The text is often rendered in bold. Again, the default attribute will force a explicit semantic meaning of strong emphasizing.
** Example: ``abc **def** ghi`` is rendered in HTML as: ::abc **def** ghi::{=example}.
** Example: ``abc **def**{-} ghi`` is rendered in HTML as: ::abc **def**{-} ghi::{=example}.
* The low line character (""''_''"", ''U+005F'') produces underlined text. If the default attribute was specified, it is semantically rendered as inserted text.
** Example: ``abc __def__ ghi`` is rendered in HTML as: ::abc __def__ ghi::{=example}.
** Example: ``abc __def__{-} ghi`` is rendered in HTML as: ::abc __def__{-} ghi::{=example}.
* Similar, the tilde character (""''~''"", ''U+007E'') produces text that is strike-through. If the default attribute was specified, it is semantically rendered as deleted text.
** Example: ``abc ~~def~~ ghi`` is rendered in HTML as: ::abc ~~def~~ ghi::{=example}.
** Example: ``abc ~~def~~{-} ghi`` is rendered in HTML as: ::abc ~~def~~{-} ghi::{=example}.
* The apostrophe character (""''\'''"", ''U+0027'') renders text in mono-space / fixed font width.
** Example: ``abc ''def'' ghi`` is rendered in HTML as: ::abc ''def'' ghi::{=example}.
* The circumflex accent character (""''^''"", ''U+005E'') allows to enter superscripted text.
** Example: ``e=mc^^2^^`` is rendered in HTML as: ::e=mc^^2^^::{=example}.
* The comma character (""'',''"", ''U+002C'') produces subscripted text.
** Example: ``H,,2,,O`` is rendered in HTML as: ::H,,2,,O::{=example}.
* The less-than sign character (""''<''"", ''U+003C'') marks an inline quotation.
** Example: ``<<To be or not<<`` is rendered in HTML as: ::<<To be or not<<::{=example}.
* The quotation mark character (""''"''"", ''U+0022'') produces the right typographic quotation marks according to the [[specified language|00001007050100]].
** Example: ``""To be or not""`` is rendered in HTML as: ::""To be or not""::{=example}.
** Example: ``""Sein oder nicht""{lang=de}`` is rendered in HTML as: ::""Sein oder nicht""{lang=de}::{=example}.
* The semicolon character (""'';''"", ''U+003B'') specifies text that should be rendered with small characters.
** Example: ``abc ;;def;; ghi`` is rendered in HTML as: ::abc ;;def;; ghi::{=example}.
* The colon character (""'':''"", ''U+003A'') mark some text that should belong together. It fills a similar role as [[region blocks|00001007030800]], but just for inline elements.
** Example: ``abc ::def::{style=color:green} ghi`` is rendered in HTML as: abc ::def::{style=color:green} ghi.