The Markdown package converts markdown markup to TeX commands. The functionality is provided both as a Lua module, and as plain TeX, LaTeX, and ConTeXt macro packages that can be used to directly typeset TeX documents containing markdown markup. Unlike other convertors, the Markdown package makes it easy to redefine how each and every markdown element is rendered. Creative abuse of the markdown syntax is encouraged. 😉

For further information, consult:

1. the user manual, which can be produced by interpreting the markdown.ins file using a Unicode-aware TeX engine, such as XeTeX (xetex markdown.ins) or LuaTeX (luatex markdown.ins). The manual will reside in the file markdown.md and the CSS stylesheet markdown.css, and
2. the technical documentation, which can be typeset by running the LaTeXMK tool on the markdown.dtx file (latexmk markdown.dtx) after installing the Markdown package. LaTeXMK should be included in your TeX distribution. The typeset documentation will reside in the file markdown.pdf, and
3. tutorials and example documents by Lian Tze Lim at Overleaf.

Apart from the example markdown documents and tests, which are placed in the examples/ and tests/ directories, the complete source code and documentation of the package are placed in the markdown.dtx document following the literate programming paradigm.

When the file markdown.ins is interpreted using a Unicode-aware TeX engine, such as XeTeX (xetex markdown.ins) or LuaTeX (luatex markdown.ins), several files are produced from the markdown.dtx document. In markdown.dtx, the boundaries between the produced files are marked up using a XML-like syntax provided by the DocStrip plain TeX package.

Running the LaTeXMK tool on the markdown.dtx file (latexmk markdown.dtx) after the Markdown package has been installed typesets the documentation. In markdown.dtx, the documentation is placed inside TeX comments and marked up using the ltxdockit LaTeX document class. Support for typesetting the documentation is provided by the doc LaTeX package.