How to convert a Markdown string to HTML using PHP

A guide on how to convert a Markdown string to HTML in PHP using the `Parsedown` library, enabling you to display Markdown content effectively on your website.

In this article, you will learn how to convert a Markdown string into HTML using PHP with the Parsedown library. This method is particularly useful for displaying Markdown-written content on your website.

PHP code:

// Step 1: Install the Parsedown library via Composer
// composer require erusev/parsedown

require 'vendor/autoload.php';

use Parsedown;

// Create an instance of Parsedown
$parsedown = new Parsedown();

// The Markdown string to be converted
$markdownString = "# Big Title \n\nThis is a **bold** and *italic* paragraph.";

// Convert Markdown to HTML
$htmlString = $parsedown->text($markdownString);

// Output the HTML string
echo $htmlString;

Detailed explanation:

1. require 'vendor/autoload.php';: Loads autoload to use the library installed via Composer.
2. use Parsedown;: Utilizes the Parsedown class.
3. $parsedown = new Parsedown();: Creates an instance of Parsedown.
4. $markdownString: Defines the Markdown string to be converted.
5. $htmlString = $parsedown->text($markdownString);: Converts the Markdown string into HTML using the text method.
6. echo $htmlString;: Outputs the converted HTML string.

System Requirements:

• PHP 7.0 or higher
• Composer to install the Parsedown library

How to install the library:

Install Parsedown via Composer:

composer require erusev/parsedown

Tips:

• Always validate the Markdown content before converting it to avoid syntax errors.
• Check for the latest version of the Parsedown library to ensure compatibility.

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