Tinderbox Training 65- Simple Markdown Template

Tinderbox Training 65- Simple Markdown Template

Level Intermediate
Published Date 2/20/22
Revision 1
Revision Note
Acknowledgements @philippecmartin
Type How To
Tags 5CKMEl, 5Cs of Knowledge Management and Exchange, Book, Markdown, Self-publishing, Template, Tinderbox, aTbRef
Video Length 12:46
Video URL TBX L Simple Markdown Template with Markdown Preview - YouTube
Example File TBX L - Simple Markdown Template with Markdown Preview.tbx (171.7 KB)
TBX Version 9.0
Instructor Michael Becker

In this lesson, I explain how to create a template in Tinderbox that renders notes in a markdown syntax rather than an HTML syntax. I also explain how to ensure that inline export code in your notes gets processed vs. not processed when you preview or export your text. Finally, I conclude this training by showing an advanced execution of the markdown template in one of my own files—i.e., a 250-page book I’ve written in Tinderbox in less than a month using the markdown training I share here as the foundation for my book.

A special thanks to @philippecmartin for inspiring me to create this lesson.

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4 Likes

Thanks @satikusala - very useful video and one of the few dedicated to Markdown. As I understand it your template and approach generates Markdown (or semi-Markdown) text based on Tinderbox note content. For instance the $Name of the notes is given a title (#), subtitle (##) etc… depending on outline level of the note.

Where I get confused in the rendering of the Markdown. For my understanding the Markdown version of the text should be in the Export pane whereas the rending of the Markdown in the Preview. In your approach however as I understand it the Markdown text is found in the Preview pane.

Hey @mdavidson. Thanks, I’m glad you find this useful.

You can look at either of the two panes, export or preview, as they both can be useful.

Note, however, if you want your inline export code to be processed in the note, you’ll want to use the preview pane or the export features in the File menu (since I use commandLine and Pandoc, I rarely use these):

Also note, the templates in this example are highly simplified. For instance, they don’t:

  1. allow for dynamic heading numbering and formatting
  2. prototype specific treatment, e.g., treat quotes and media files differently
  3. note-by-note glandular control of the introduction of $Name, $Text, or children

The three above executions then can effectively support the execution of:

  1. inline $text use of action and export code in notes and agents
  2. use of agents for a section of an article or book (think interactive glossaries, automated figure numbering, a summary of key takeaways)

These are all tactics I’ve developed that I could cover later.