:date: 2012-06-03 10:03

.. index:: tech, markdown, scribes, linux, pandoc

.. _`2012-scribes_and_markdown`:

Scribes and markdown
====================

.. image:: /_images/images/gallery/2012/2012-placeholder/logo_scribes.png
   :alt: Scribes logo
   :align: right
   :scale: 100

There's a new kid in town. Well, not quite new, but haven't seen it around for a while.

`Scribes <http://scribes.sourceforge.net/>`__ is an editor, providing functionality like Tex-Mate from Mac on Linux.

I've been using it now for a couple of weeks and more and more it starts to replace my :program:`gedit` editor. Mostly because of the autosave-feature, but also because I don't have to bother with anything else while writing.

--------

Markdown
--------
To implement `markdown <http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax>`__ support for your files you have to do two things:

* Install the markdown template
* Name your files with the right extension (obviously)

Installing Markdown template
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Currently Markdown isn't supported by delivery for :program:`Scribes`. But :program:`Scribes` is `using the GTKSourceView <http://live.gnome.org/GtkSourceView/LanguageDefinitions>`__ for the Syntax Highlighting. So you have to push that support into that system instead.

Information you find easily yourself and on the `Scribes Support pages <http://scribes.sourceforge.net/syntax-color.html>`__.

In easy steps:

#. Download the latest version of `gedit-markdown <http://www.jpfleury.net/en/software/gedit-markdown.php>`__.
#. Copy the file :file:`markdown.lang` and/or :file:`markdown-extra.lang` int the :file:`gtksourceview` directory;

.. code:: bash

   $ sudo cp markdown.lang /usr/share/gtksourceview-2.0/language-specs/
   $ sudo cp markdown-extra.lang /usr/share/gtksourceview-2.0/language-specs/
   $ sudo cp markdown.lang /usr/share/gtksourceview-3.0/language-specs/
   $ sudo cp markdown-extra.lang /usr/share/gtksourceview-3.0/language-specs/

3. Restart :program:`Scribes`

Alternatively you can also install the `support for the syntax <http://www.jpfleury.net/en/software/gedit-markdown.php>`__ to :program:`gedit`. That way you can use :program:`gedit` (which has a `Plugin <http://live.gnome.org/Gedit/MarkdownSupport>`__ for that as well) with markdown-syntax support.

File name extension
"""""""""""""""""""
There's seems to be `a kind of <http://superuser.com/questions/249436/file-extension-for-markdown-files>`__ `controversy <http://hiltmon.com/blog/2012/03/07/the-markdown-file-extension/>`__ going on about the extension. As usual, consensus seems to be a foreign word. So currently it seems to be that these are more or less supported file extensions:

.. code:: bash

   .markdown
   .mdown
   .mkdn
   .md
   .mkd
   .mdwn
   .mdtxt
   .mdtext
   .text

There are pros and cons for most of them. For me working with :program:`Scribes` the ending :file:`.markdown` works best. Looks a bit weird having such a long one, but: HEY! it works!!!

Markdown to PDF
"""""""""""""""
Sometimes you want to send a readable document to somebody else who's reluctantly ignoring any progress of developing. So you send them a PDF. That makes sure, that

#. They don't complain about text-files which contain too much information and too less design.
#. They can't change the information. Who knows what they are capable of, if they can't even read a text-file?

Easy, simple and quick using `pandoc <http://johnmacfarlane.net/pandoc/README.html#creating-a-pdf>`__:

.. code:: bash

   $ sudo apt-get install pandoc # Installation
   $ pandoc -o outputfile.pdf inputfile.markdown

Then you're done.