GoKawiilEmacs 31 ships experimental markdown-ts-mode built on tree-sitter
The newly released Emacs 31 includes a tree-sitter-based mode for editing Markdown files, called markdown-ts-mode, though it is not enabled by default and is labeled experimental. Despite that label, the mode already supports the full CommonMark spec and most of GitHub Flavored Markdown, plus extras like code block editing, table-of-contents tools, and integration with converters such as pandoc. Users must manually load the library, for example via use-package or autoload, since Emacs won't switch to it automatically when opening .md files.
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Tree-sitter integration represents a broader shift in Emacs toward faster, more accurate syntax parsing across major modes, and Markdown is one of the most commonly edited formats for developers and writers alike. Marking the mode 'experimental' signals it needs real-world testing before becoming default, giving early adopters a chance to shape its development through feedback.
- Emacs 31 introduces markdown-ts-mode, a tree-sitter-powered Markdown editing mode
- The mode is experimental and must be manually enabled via configuration, not on by default
- It already supports full CommonMark and most GitHub Flavored Markdown features, plus pandoc integration
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Published there as: “Emacs 31: An unofficial guide to Markdown-ts-mode”
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