GFM

Indented code blocks

An indented code block is composed of one or more indented chunks separated by blank lines. An indented chunk is a sequence of non-blank lines, each indented four or more spaces. The contents of the code block are the literal contents of the lines, including trailing line endings, minus four spaces of indentation. An indented code block has no info string.
An indented code block cannot interrupt a paragraph, so there must be a blank line between a paragraph and a following indented code block. (A blank line is not needed, however, between a code block and a following paragraph.)

Example 77

Markdown HTML Demo
 
    a simple
      indented code block


<pre><code>a simple
  indented code block
</code></pre>

If there is any ambiguity between an interpretation of indentation as a code block and as indicating that material belongs to a list item, the list item interpretation takes precedence:

Example 78

Markdown HTML Demo
 
  - foo

    bar


<ul>
<li>
<p>foo</p>
<p>bar</p>
</li>
</ul>

Example 79

Markdown HTML Demo
 
1.  foo

    - bar


<ol>
<li>
<p>foo</p>
<ul>
<li>bar</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>

The contents of a code block are literal text, and do not get parsed as Markdown:

Example 80

Markdown HTML Demo
 
    <a/>
    *hi*

    - one


<pre><code>&lt;a/&gt;
*hi*

- one
</code></pre>

Here we have three chunks separated by blank lines:

Example 81

Markdown HTML Demo
 
    chunk1

    chunk2
  
 
 
    chunk3


<pre><code>chunk1

chunk2



chunk3
</code></pre>

Any initial spaces beyond four will be included in the content, even in interior blank lines:

Example 82

Markdown HTML Demo
 
    chunk1
      
      chunk2


<pre><code>chunk1
  
  chunk2
</code></pre>

An indented code block cannot interrupt a paragraph. (This allows hanging indents and the like.)

Example 83

Markdown HTML Demo
 
Foo
    bar


<p>Foo
bar</p>

However, any non-blank line with fewer than four leading spaces ends the code block immediately. So a paragraph may occur immediately after indented code:

Example 84

Markdown HTML Demo
 
    foo
bar


<pre><code>foo
</code></pre>
<p>bar</p>

And indented code can occur immediately before and after other kinds of blocks:

Example 85

Markdown HTML Demo
 
# Heading
    foo
Heading
------
    foo
----


<h1>Heading</h1>
<pre><code>foo
</code></pre>
<h2>Heading</h2>
<pre><code>foo
</code></pre>
<hr />

The first line can be indented more than four spaces:

Example 86

Markdown HTML Demo
 
        foo
    bar


<pre><code>    foo
bar
</code></pre>

Blank lines preceding or following an indented code block are not included in it:

Example 87

Markdown HTML Demo
 

    
    foo
    


<pre><code>foo
</code></pre>

Trailing spaces are included in the code block’s content:

Example 88

Markdown HTML Demo
 
    foo  


<pre><code>foo  
</code></pre>