Github-style fenced code blocks

Michel Fortin michel.fortin at michelf.ca
Fri Sep 27 07:48:49 EDT 2013


I get a lot of requests for Github-style fenced code blocks in PHP Markdown Extra. While I despite the syntax -- it also happens to be a valid code span! -- I wonder whether I should relent on this. It seems to be bothering a lot of people (even those who know about the tilde-based fenced code block syntax).

In Github-Flavored Markdown, a code block works like this:

```php
some php code
```

Replace those backticks with tildes and you get a valid fenced code block in PHP Markdown Extra:

~~~php
some php code
~~~

Of course, now Github also supports tilde for fenced code blocks. But their documentation only mention the backtick-based syntax.
<https://help.github.com/articles/github-flavored-markdown>

If take a look at Babelmark 2, it seems that most implementations supporting one also support the other.
<http://johnmacfarlane.net/babelmark2/?normalize=1&text=```php%0Asome+php+code%0A```%0A>
<http://johnmacfarlane.net/babelmark2/?normalize=1&text=~~~php%0Asome+php+code%0A~~~%0A>

I wondered if some of you have any opinion to share on this.

--
Michel Fortin
michel.fortin at michelf.ca
http://michelf.ca



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