This is some regular text.

Here is some text with stuff that requires special handling: ( ) [ ] { } /\ ~

What if I put in some internal markup?  ~T ~K2K

    This is code and preformatted text. /* comment*/ <b>Not bold</b>

Here is an `inline code block` created with backticks.

This text uses a line  
break

Some text in *italics* and some _more text in italics._

Some **bold** text and __some more.__

Both ***bold and italic*** and ___again___.

Here is a standard hyperlink <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/">Stack Overflow</a>

Inline link to [Google](http://www.google.com/)  
Reference-style link to [Google][1]  
Here's a more readable reference link to [Google][google]  

Here's an inline [link](http://www.google.com/ "Google") with a tooltip in quotes.  
A reference [link][parens] in parentheses.  
A reference [link][quotes] in quotes.  

Automatically converted link: http://www.stackoverflow.com  
A link that is forced: <http://www.stackoverflow.com>  

Level 1 Header can use any number of equal signs
=

Level 2 Header can use any number of dashes
-

# You can also use #
## Hash marks to create header levels
### The closing hash marks are optional ###

Horizontal rules use 3 or more hyphens, asterisks or underscores

---  
text
***
text
___
text  

breaking up the line markers also works
* * *
A bulleted list:

- Use a dash
+ Or a plus sign
* Or an asterisk

A numbered list:

1. Numbered lists are easy
2. The numbers are automatically tracked
7. So this will be number 3

Double-spaced list:

- You can make a spaced-out list wrapped in `<p>` tags

- By putting a space in between the lines

Nested Lists:

1. Lists in a list item:
    - Indent four spaces
        * Per list level

2. You can do multiple paragraphs if you skip a line.

    And indent four spaces.

   Three works, too but that can be confusing.

3. To put blockquotes in a list item

    > Skip a line and indent the starting '>' four spaces.

4. To put preformatted code in a list item

        Skip a line and indent <b>eight</b> spaces.

Simple Blockquotes

>Just add > to the start of the line.
>And you'll get a blockquote.

Blockquote paragraphs

> Putting a >
>
> on blank lines is optional

> it all looks the same to the markdown editor.

Blockquote nesting

>You can nest
>>blockquotes to any
>>>level you want

Lists in blockquotes

> - A list in a blockquote
> - Have to have a > and a space before the bullet marker
>    * And you can do nested lists.

Code and quotes

>    Just indent the text four spaces after the >

Images

Inline image: ![Alt text goes here](http://w3.org/Icons/valid-xhtml10)  
Reference image with tooltip: ![valid XHTML][checkmark]   
You can't do this ![checkmark]  
but you can do this ![checkmark][] where the ref name will be the alt text.  

Regular image links also work, including scaling: 
<img src="http://w3.org/Icons/valid-xhtml10" width="100" height="25">  


[1]: http://www.google.com
[Google]: http://www.google.com
[parens]: http://www.google.com (Click to go to Google)
[quotes]: http://www.google.com "Click for Google"
[checkmark]: http://w3.org/Icons/valid-xhtml10 "Image tooltip"