Table of Contents
- Introduction
- 1. Remarkable
- 2. Markdown-it
- 3. Showdown
- 4. Marked
- 5. Turndown
- Conclusive Summary
- References
Introduction
With the growing popularity of Markdown for writing web content, developers often seek efficient tools to convert Markdown files to HTML. Node.js offers a plethora of markdown-to-html-packages to streamline this conversion, catering to various needs and preferences. In this guide, we will explore the top packages that make this process seamless, highlighting key features and providing examples with their corresponding outputs. So buckle up as we dive into the world of markup transformation in the Node.js ecosystem!
1. Remarkable
Remarkable stands out for its remarkable performance and extensibility. It offers full support for CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) and provides options to customize the parser for specific needs.
const Remarkable = require('remarkable');
const md = new Remarkable();
console.log(md.render('# Markdown to HTML using Remarkable!'));
Output:
<h1>Markdown to HTML using Remarkable!</h1>
2. Markdown-it
Markdown-it is a fast and commonmark-compliant markdown-to-html-package. It offers syntax extensions and is very pluggable, allowing developers to enable or disable rules, use plugins, and even develop custom ones.
const markdownIt = require('markdown-it')();
const result = markdownIt.render('## Markdown-it is amazing!');
console.log(result);
Output:
<h2>Markdown-it is amazing!</h2>
3. Showdown
Showdown is a battle-tested JavaScript Markdown to HTML converter that can run both in the browser and on the server. It is designed to be easy to read, to write, and generates (sanitized) HTML by default.
const Showdown = require('showdown');
const converter = new Showdown.Converter();
const html = converter.makeHtml('### Convert Markdown using Showdown');
console.log(html);
Output:
<h3>Convert Markdown using Showdown</h3>
4. Marked
Marked is a markdown-to-html-package that prides itself on being built for speed. It is highly compliant with the Markdown specification and provides various options for customization.
const marked = require('marked');
console.log(marked('#### Marked is fast and lightweight!'));
Output:
<h4>Marked is fast and lightweight!</h4>
5. Turndown
Turndown is an HTML to markdown converter written in JavaScript. While it typically works the other way around, it’s useful for projects that need to go both ways: HTML to Markdown and Markdown to HTML.
const TurndownService = require('turndown');
const turndownService = new TurndownService();
const markdown = turndownService.turndown('<h5>Turndown does it both ways!</h5>');
console.log(markdown);
Output:
##### Turndown does it both ways!
Conclusive Summary
We have explored some of the most powerful and user-friendly markdown-to-html-packages available for Node.js. Remarkable, Markdown-it, Showdown, Marked, and Turndown each offer unique features that cater to different requirements, such as compliance with Markdown specifications, speed, customization, and plugins. When considering a package for your next project, assess factors such as ease of use, compatibility, speed, and extensibility to ensure it suits your project’s needs. Happy coding!
