MD014 - Dollar signs used before commands without showing output

Tags: code

Aliases: commands-show-output

This rule is triggered when there are code blocks showing shell commands to be typed, and the shell commands are preceded by dollar signs ($):

$ ls
$ cat foo
$ less bar

The dollar signs are unnecessary in the above situation, and should not be included:

ls
cat foo
less bar

However, an exception is made when there is a need to distinguish between typed commands and command output, as in the following example:

$ ls
foo bar
$ cat foo
Hello world
$ cat bar
baz

Rationale: it is easier to copy and paste and less noisy if the dollar signs are omitted when they are not needed. See http://www.cirosantilli.com/markdown-styleguide/#dollar-signs-in-shell-code for more information.

MD028 - Blank line inside blockquote

Tags: blockquote, whitespace

Aliases: no-blanks-blockquote

This rule is triggered when two blockquote blocks are separated by nothing except for a blank line:

> This is a blockquote
> which is immediately followed by

> this blockquote. Unfortunately
> In some parsers, these are treated as the same blockquote.

To fix this, ensure that any blockquotes that are right next to each other have some text in between:

> This is a blockquote.

And Jimmy also said:

> This too is a blockquote.

Alternatively, if they are supposed to be the same quote, then add the blockquote symbol at the beginning of the blank line:

> This is a blockquote.
>
> This is the same blockquote.

Rationale: Some markdown parsers will treat two blockquotes separated by one or more blank lines as the same blockquote, while others will treat them as separate blockquotes.

MD031 - Fenced code blocks should be surrounded by blank lines

Tags: code, blank_lines

Aliases: blanks-around-fences

This rule is triggered when fenced code blocks are either not preceded or not followed by a blank line:

Some text
```
Code block
```

```
Another code block
```
Some more text

To fix this, ensure that all fenced code blocks have a blank line both before and after (except where the block is at the beginning or end of the document):

Some text

```
Code block
```

```
Another code block
```

Some more text

Rationale: Aside from aesthetic reasons, some parsers, including kramdown, will not parse fenced code blocks that don't have blank lines before and after them.

MD002 - First header should be a top level header

Tags: headers

Aliases: first-header-h1

Parameters: level (number; default 1)

This rule is triggered when the first header in the document isn't a h1 header:

## This isn't a H1 header

### Another header

The first header in the document should be a h1 header:

# Start with a H1 header

## Then use a H2 for subsections

MD012 - Multiple consecutive blank lines

Tags: whitespace, blank_lines

Aliases: no-multiple-blanks

This rule is triggered when there are multiple consecutive blank lines in the document:

Some text here


Some more text here

To fix this, delete the offending lines:

Some text here

Some more text here

Note: this rule will not be triggered if there are multiple consecutive blank lines inside code blocks.

MD012 - Multiple consecutive blank lines

Tags: whitespace, blank_lines

Aliases: no-multiple-blanks

This rule is triggered when there are multiple consecutive blank lines in the document:

Some text here


Some more text here

To fix this, delete the offending lines:

Some text here

Some more text here

Note: this rule will not be triggered if there are multiple consecutive blank lines inside code blocks.

MD012 - Multiple consecutive blank lines

Tags: whitespace, blank_lines

Aliases: no-multiple-blanks

This rule is triggered when there are multiple consecutive blank lines in the document:

Some text here


Some more text here

To fix this, delete the offending lines:

Some text here

Some more text here

Note: this rule will not be triggered if there are multiple consecutive blank lines inside code blocks.

MD031 - Fenced code blocks should be surrounded by blank lines

Tags: code, blank_lines

Aliases: blanks-around-fences

This rule is triggered when fenced code blocks are either not preceded or not followed by a blank line:

Some text
```
Code block
```

```
Another code block
```
Some more text

To fix this, ensure that all fenced code blocks have a blank line both before and after (except where the block is at the beginning or end of the document):

Some text

```
Code block
```

```
Another code block
```

Some more text

Rationale: Aside from aesthetic reasons, some parsers, including kramdown, will not parse fenced code blocks that don't have blank lines before and after them.

MD032 - Lists should be surrounded by blank lines

Tags: bullet, ul, ol, blank_lines

Aliases: blanks-around-lists

This rule is triggered when lists (of any kind) are either not preceded or not followed by a blank line:

Some text
* Some
* List

1. Some
2. List
Some text

To fix this, ensure that all lists have a blank line both before and after (except where the block is at the beginning or end of the document):

Some text

* Some
* List

1. Some
2. List

Some text

Rationale: Aside from aesthetic reasons, some parsers, including kramdown, will not parse lists that don't have blank lines before and after them.

Note: List items without hanging indents are a violation of this rule; list items with hanging indents are okay:

* This is
not okay

* This is
  okay

MD033 - Inline HTML

Tags: html

Aliases: no-inline-html

This rule is triggered whenever raw HTML is used in a markdown document:

Inline HTML header

To fix this, use 'pure' markdown instead of including raw HTML:

# Markdown header

Rationale: Raw HTML is allowed in markdown, but this rule is included for those who want their documents to only include "pure" markdown, or for those who are rendering markdown documents in something other than HTML.

MD033 - Inline HTML

Tags: html

Aliases: no-inline-html

This rule is triggered whenever raw HTML is used in a markdown document:

Inline HTML header

To fix this, use 'pure' markdown instead of including raw HTML:

# Markdown header

Rationale: Raw HTML is allowed in markdown, but this rule is included for those who want their documents to only include "pure" markdown, or for those who are rendering markdown documents in something other than HTML.

MD002 - First header should be a top level header

Tags: headers

Aliases: first-header-h1

Parameters: level (number; default 1)

This rule is triggered when the first header in the document isn't a h1 header:

## This isn't a H1 header

### Another header

The first header in the document should be a h1 header:

# Start with a H1 header

## Then use a H2 for subsections

MD012 - Multiple consecutive blank lines

Tags: whitespace, blank_lines

Aliases: no-multiple-blanks

This rule is triggered when there are multiple consecutive blank lines in the document:

Some text here


Some more text here

To fix this, delete the offending lines:

Some text here

Some more text here

Note: this rule will not be triggered if there are multiple consecutive blank lines inside code blocks.

MD009 - Trailing spaces

Tags: whitespace

Aliases: no-trailing-spaces

Parameters: br_spaces (number; default: 0)

This rule is triggered on any lines that end with whitespace. To fix this, find the line that is triggered and remove any trailing spaces from the end.

The brspaces parameter allows an exception to this rule for a specific amount of trailing spaces used to insert an explicit line break/br element. For example, set brspaces to 2 to allow exactly 2 spaces at the end of a line.

Note: you have to set brspaces to 2 or higher for this exception to take effect - you can't insert a br element with just a single trailing space, so if you set brspaces to 1, the exception will be disabled, just as if it was set to the default of 0.

MD022 - Headers should be surrounded by blank lines

Tags: headers, blank_lines

Aliases: blanks-around-headers

This rule is triggered when headers (any style) are either not preceded or not followed by a blank line:

# Header 1
Some text

Some more text
## Header 2

To fix this, ensure that all headers have a blank line both before and after (except where the header is at the beginning or end of the document):

# Header 1

Some text

Some more text

## Header 2

Rationale: Aside from aesthetic reasons, some parsers, including kramdown, will not parse headers that don't have a blank line before, and will parse them as regular text.

MD032 - Lists should be surrounded by blank lines

Tags: bullet, ul, ol, blank_lines

Aliases: blanks-around-lists

This rule is triggered when lists (of any kind) are either not preceded or not followed by a blank line:

Some text
* Some
* List

1. Some
2. List
Some text

To fix this, ensure that all lists have a blank line both before and after (except where the block is at the beginning or end of the document):

Some text

* Some
* List

1. Some
2. List

Some text

Rationale: Aside from aesthetic reasons, some parsers, including kramdown, will not parse lists that don't have blank lines before and after them.

Note: List items without hanging indents are a violation of this rule; list items with hanging indents are okay:

* This is
not okay

* This is
  okay

MD032 - Lists should be surrounded by blank lines

Tags: bullet, ul, ol, blank_lines

Aliases: blanks-around-lists

This rule is triggered when lists (of any kind) are either not preceded or not followed by a blank line:

Some text
* Some
* List

1. Some
2. List
Some text

To fix this, ensure that all lists have a blank line both before and after (except where the block is at the beginning or end of the document):

Some text

* Some
* List

1. Some
2. List

Some text

Rationale: Aside from aesthetic reasons, some parsers, including kramdown, will not parse lists that don't have blank lines before and after them.

Note: List items without hanging indents are a violation of this rule; list items with hanging indents are okay:

* This is
not okay

* This is
  okay

MD034 - Bare URL used

Tags: links, url

Aliases: no-bare-urls

This rule is triggered whenever a URL is given that isn't surrounded by angle brackets:

For more information, see http://www.example.com/.

To fix this, add angle brackets around the URL:

For more information, see <http:></http:>.

Rationale: Without angle brackets, the URL isn't converted into a link in many markdown parsers.

Note: if you do want a bare URL without it being converted into a link, enclose it in a code block, otherwise in some markdown parsers it will be converted:

`http://www.example.com`

MD032 - Lists should be surrounded by blank lines

Tags: bullet, ul, ol, blank_lines

Aliases: blanks-around-lists

This rule is triggered when lists (of any kind) are either not preceded or not followed by a blank line:

Some text
* Some
* List

1. Some
2. List
Some text

To fix this, ensure that all lists have a blank line both before and after (except where the block is at the beginning or end of the document):

Some text

* Some
* List

1. Some
2. List

Some text

Rationale: Aside from aesthetic reasons, some parsers, including kramdown, will not parse lists that don't have blank lines before and after them.

Note: List items without hanging indents are a violation of this rule; list items with hanging indents are okay:

* This is
not okay

* This is
  okay

MD022 - Headers should be surrounded by blank lines

Tags: headers, blank_lines

Aliases: blanks-around-headers

This rule is triggered when headers (any style) are either not preceded or not followed by a blank line:

# Header 1
Some text

Some more text
## Header 2

To fix this, ensure that all headers have a blank line both before and after (except where the header is at the beginning or end of the document):

# Header 1

Some text

Some more text

## Header 2

Rationale: Aside from aesthetic reasons, some parsers, including kramdown, will not parse headers that don't have a blank line before, and will parse them as regular text.