SOLUM Syntax Guide

This document provides an exhaustive reference for the SOLUM markup language. SOLUM is designed to be unambiguous: markers are either recognized in their strict positions or treated as literal text.

1. Block Elements

Block elements must start at the very beginning of a line (after optional whitespace). Crucially, most block markers must be followed by a space to be recognized.

Headers

Headers are defined by the > symbol.

SOLUM	HTML	Description
> Header	<h1>	Level 1 Header
>> Header	<h2>	Level 2 Header
>>> Header	<h3>	Level 3 Header
># Header	<h1> (numbered)	Auto-numbered Header (1., 2., etc.)

Note: A space is required after the markers (e.g., >Header will be treated as literal text).

Lists

Lists support Unordered, Ordered, and Alpha types. Nesting is achieved by increasing the number of dots.

Type	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
Unordered	. Item	.. Item	... Item
Ordered	1. Item	1.. Item	1... Item
Alpha	a. Item	a.. Item	a... Item

Note: A space is required after the dots. For Ordered and Alpha lists, the marker is a digit/letter followed by one or more dots.

Quotes

• Block Quotes: Enclose content between [q] markers. These can be nested. [q] This is a block quote. [q]
• Line Quotes: Use stacked backticks at the start of a line, followed by a space. ` Level 1 Quote Level 2 Quote ``

Tables

Tables are enclosed in [t] markers. Cells are separated by ||.

[t] Name || Age || City --- Alice || 30 || New York Bob || 25 || London [t]

Specialized Blocks

• Code Blocks: {{lang: ... }}. The lang prefix (followed by a colon) specifies the language for syntax highlighting (e.g., {{cpp:, {{js:, {{py:). Ends with }} on a new line.
• Literal Blocks: === ... ===. Disables all parsing; content is rendered exactly as written.
• Math Blocks: $$$ ... $$$. Used for multi-line mathematical formulas.
• Metadata: Must appear at the very top of the file. It starts with a line containing exactly ===META and ends with a line containing exactly ===. ===META Title: My Document Author: John Doe ===

2. Inline Elements

Inline elements can be used anywhere in the document.

Formatting

Effect	Marker	Example	Result
Bold	!!	!!Bold!!	Bold
Italic	::	::Italic::	Italic
Underline	==	==Underline==	Underline
Highlight	%%	%%Highlight%%	Highlight
Strike	~~	~~Strike~~	Strike
Subscript	,,	,,H2O,,	H₂O
Superscript	^^	E=MC^^2^^	E=MC²
Inline Code	{}	{int x = 0;}	int x = 0;
Inline Literal	''	''literal''	Literal text

Assets and Math

• Links: [@ url "label"] $\rightarrow$ <a href="url">label</a>
• Images: [! path "alt"] $\rightarrow$ <img src="path" alt="alt">
• Inline Math: $$formula$$ $\rightarrow$ Rendered as inline math.

Tasks

Task markers [ ] (unchecked) and [x] (checked) can be placed anywhere inline.

Escaping

To render a marker literally, use the backslash \ escape character. The character immediately following the backslash is treated as literal text.

• \!! $\rightarrow$ !!
• \> $\rightarrow$ >
• \# $\rightarrow$ #
• \,,\,, $\rightarrow$ ,,
• \^^ $\rightarrow$ ^^

3. Advanced Logic

Intersecting Styles

SOLUM handles overlapping styles by preserving the inner style and wrapping the intersection.

Input: !!Bold ::Both!! Italic:: Rendered: Bold Both Italic

Unclosed Markers

To prevent "leaking" styles, any marker that is not properly closed within the same block is treated as raw text. !!This is not bold $\rightarrow$ renders as !!This is not bold.