==( Overview : LOona markup notation )==

LOona's text markup is based on indentations and the systematic use

of text elements that you would also expect in good-looking plain

text documentation. Albeit loosely based on the markup notation of

other, more popular WIKIs, LOona's markup notation has some features

to offer which recommend it especially for technical documentation.

'''NOTE''': To understand these instructions, click on 'Edit' to see

the plain text representation; use 'Preview' to try out some markup

of your own.

===( Block )===

Text of a consistent indentation level running uninterrupted by empty

lines is combined into ''blocks''. Lines in blocks can break at any

position; the line breaks are not included in the result:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 This is a block.

 This is another

 block.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

===( Indentation )===

''Indentation'' is measured in the consecutive number of spaces at

the beginning of a line; different indentation levels are taken into

account accordingly:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 This is a block.

  This is another

  block.

   This is a third

   block.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

===( Preformatted )===

For blocks of code and other kinds of ''preformatted text'' use an

indentation that is ''two levels deeper'' than the current level,

e.g.:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 Normal text

   /* Code markup */

 Back to normal

---------------------------------------------------------------------

===( Code )===

Inlined ''code'' is marked up between double braces. It may occur at

any position in a line, but it must be the same line in which the

opening and the closing of the markup occurs:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 This is {{code_markup}} in running text.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

===( Lists )===

There are two types of items in ''lists''; ''soft'' and ''bulleted''

items. They are recognized by their initiatory character (dash or

asterisk), followed by a whitespace at the beginning of a line:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 - soft item

 * bulleted item

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Soft items are, by the way, a natural means to enforce line breaks:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 - this is a line,

 - this is another line,

 - this is a third line.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Lists follow the same indentation rules as normal text:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 * one

 * two

 * three

  * eins

  * zwei

   - ichi

   - ni

   - san

  * drei

---------------------------------------------------------------------

'''NOTE''': Although not striclty required, it is recommended to

indent lists by one level. This will help the parser to avoid

ambiguities; otherwise, when a regular block follows an unindented

list, it would be concatenated with the last item, as empty lines are

not sufficient to break out from a list.

===( Images )===

Image references are enclosed by at signs:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 @@/images/loona.png@@

---------------------------------------------------------------------

===( Links )===

Links are enclosed in double squared brackets:

 * [[home]] -

 Internal link: Link target is description at the same time.

 * [[Home page][home]] -

 Internal link with description differing from the link target

 * [[http://loona.neoscientists.org/]] -

 External link

 * [[You know what cool is][http://loona.neoscientists.org/]] -

 External link with different description

 * [[@@/images/loona.png@@][http://loona.neoscientists.org/]] -

 Image link

As for external links, LOona's configuration file offers an option

to decide whether external links should open in a new browser window

or not. Many people disregard this feature, while businesses seem

to swear by it.

===( Tables )===

Lines running uninterrupted with at least one cell separator in each

of them automatically form a table. The cell separator is a double

vertical bar:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 First cell || Second cell

 Third cell || Fourth cell

---------------------------------------------------------------------

It is also possible to create empty cells as long as the separators

are present. Note, by the way, that cell separators do not

necessarily have to be aligned exactly below each other:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 First cell ||  || third cell

      || fifth cell ||

---------------------------------------------------------------------

===( Headings )===

Headings occupy an entire line. They are enclosed by at least one

equal sign and a whitspace on each side; the more equal signs, the

less significant the section:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 == Heading 1 ==

 === Heading 2 ===

 ==== Heading 3 ====

---------------------------------------------------------------------

===( Rules )===

A minimum of four dashes is interpreted as a horizontal rule. Rules

may occur at arbitrary indentation levels, but otherwise they must

occupy the whole line:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 before the rule

 ----------------------------------------------

 after the rule

---------------------------------------------------------------------

===( Emphasis )===

An emphasized portion of text may occur at any position in a line,

but the opening and the closing of the markup must occur in the same

line to be recognized.

The emphasized text is surrounded by at least two ticks on each side;

the more ticks, the stronger the emphasis.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 - normal

 - ''emphasis''

 - '''strong emphasis'''

 - ''''very strong emphasis''''

---------------------------------------------------------------------

===( Nodes )===

''Nodes'' translate to anchors in a document, and a browser will

usually interprete them as jump targets. Visually, nodes translate

to headlines also; as usual, the number of equal signs with which

the heading is paired determines the significance and therefore

size of a headline:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 =( Large )=

 ==( Medium )==

 ===( Small : Small node with alternate text )===

---------------------------------------------------------------------

In addition to normal node headlines, there is also a variant which

is marked up as code. This is especially useful for jump targets in

technical documentation:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 ={ Large : Large code node }=

 =={ Medium : Medium code node }==

 ==={ Small : Small code node }===

---------------------------------------------------------------------

When referencing a node, use a number sign {{#}} followed by the

node name. This, by the way, also works when referencing nodes in

other documents.

For example, this link will take you to the beginning of this

document:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 [[Top of document][#Overview]]

---------------------------------------------------------------------

'''NOTE''': Don't be too adventurous when selecting a node name;

if you need blanks or punctuation or if in doubt use the alternate

text notation.

== Final note ==

If in doubt, use fewer markup. Sparse application of compositional

elements usually leads to better readability and stylistic clarity.

If you can't produce the looks you project, first and foremost think

of improving your stylesheet.