+++
title = "mdcat and its syntax"
description = "the birth of mdcat, and a tour of everything it can render"
date = 2026-09-16T22:04:09Z
updated = 2026-10-18T13:23:38Z
+++

            ／l、      MEOW!
           （ﾟ､ ｡ ７  /
             l、ﾞ~ヽ
             じしf_,)ノ

# Overview

So I guess I've decided on a name for my `zola` theme. It's going to be
called `mdcat`, and I think the reasoning behind the name should be pretty
self-explanatory, haha.

Anyway, I'd say I'm around 80% finished with the syntax. I should also
mention that building this website is actually a small part of a larger
project which I'm working on. I hope to share more about it in the future,
but for now I hope that you enjoy my showcase below:

---

# Markdown syntax

## Text

Emphasis *leans*, strong text **stands out**, inline code `borders`, 
and struck text ~~fades~~. Where markdown has no syntax, HTML
fills in: <mark>highlighted</mark> text, keys like <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>C</kbd>,
H<sub>2</sub>O and 2<sup>10</sup>.

A footnote sits at the end of a sentence[^1], and a line that ends in a
backslash\
breaks without starting a new paragraph. Links stay inside the site, like
[the updates directory](@/updates/_index.md).

## Headings {#custom}

Headings keep their marks, and the marks are the anchor links. This one has
a custom anchor, `#custom`, set in the source.

## Lists

- a bullet
  - nested one level
- another bullet

1. first
2. second

- [x] done: struck and dimmed
- [ ] still to do

`[raw]`
: a definition list: term above, definition below

`[sig]`
: the detached signature, on a page that has one

## Code

```sh,name=verify.sh,linenos,hl_lines=3
#!/bin/sh
# check a page before trusting it
gpg --verify updates/mail-server.txt || exit 1
echo "signature good"
```

The frame shows the file name and language; `linenos` numbers the lines and
`hl_lines` marks one. Without a language it is only a frame:

```
$ mdcat updates/mdcat-showcase.md
```

## Blocks

> A quote holds `code`, *emphasis* and paragraphs.
>
> > Quotes nest.

> [!NOTE]
> An alert is a quote with a tag. `TIP`, `IMPORTANT`, `WARNING` and
> `CAUTION` work the same way.

{% <note header="Callout"> %}
A callout is a labelled frame with **markdown** inside.
{% </note> %}

{% <note header="Folded callout" clickable={true}> %}
This one starts closed. Only the `[+]` opens it.
{% </note> %}

| element | source            | rendered as          |
|:--------|:------------------|:---------------------|
| heading | `## Title`        | white, marks kept    |
| callout | `note` component  | labelled frame       |
| alert   | `> [!NOTE]`       | quote, tag kept      |

[^1]: Footnotes gather here, dimmed, with a link back to where they came from.