MD File Extension

What is the .MD file type?

The .md filename extension is primarily associated with the Markdown Document (MD) file type. Markdown is a general-purpose lightweight document markup language created by J.Gruber to enable basic structural formatting of text-only documents. Markdown borrows some formatting conventions from e-mail correspondence.

An .md file is a plaintext file that contains user text formatted in accordance with the Markdown syntax. In order for this formatting to be actually applied and rendered, an .md file must be processed by a Markdown parser. There are multiple Markdown implementations, often part of content-management systems (CMS) on the Web.

Markdown has become very popular in many FOSS (Free and Open-Source Software) projects. Most commonly, Markdown markup is used in various read-me, license, changelog, and other files—"Readme.md", "changelog.md", etc. Any Markdown-formatted .md file can be opened, viewed and edited with a text editor.

In computer programming, the .md extension is also used as an ID label for the Machine Description (MD) file type. A machine description (.md) file is a text-based definition of the target machine's capabilities in terms of CPU architecture, instructions set, CPU-specific code optimizations, etc. Many C/C++ (most notably, GCC) and other compilers rely on .md files for proper compilation of source code for target machines.

With reference to FeatureCAM, an advanced CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) software system by Delcam, the .md extension serves to identify the Machine Design (MD) file format and type. FeatureCAM uses .md files as 3D kinematic models of various types of machine tools.

Machine design models (.md) serve to test paths and movements of machine's working parts in simulated machining cycles, and determine if a workpiece can be adequately and safely processed with a specific machine tool make/model.

Additionally, the .md extension gets associated with the Moneydance Financial Data (MD) file format/type. Moneydance is a proprietary cross-platform (Windows/Mac OS/Linux/Unix) personal financial accounting application by The Infinite Kind. Moneydance uses .md files as storage entities for all financial transaction data entered by the user, or received via online banking. Internally, a Moneydance .md file is uses a proprietary compressed database format.

In the area of game console emulation, the .md extension goes along with the Sega Mega Drive ROM Image (MD) file type/format. Sega Mega Drive is the name of a legacy portable game console by Sega, and MD is an older format for storing ROM (Read-Only Memory) images obtained from Sega game cartridges. In this context, an .md file is a binary Sega Mega Drive ROM image in the MD format, still usable with several game-console emulation systems.

With Mayura Draw, a lightweight shareware vector drawing application for MS Windows by Mayura Software, the .md extension identifies the Mayura Draw Drawing (MD) file type/format. A Mayura .md file is a text-based file with a set of statements in the Adobe EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) syntax/format.

Lastly, the .md extension can still be occasionally encountered, denoting the MDCD Compressed Archive (MD) file type/format. MDCD is an obscure compression method based on the 13-bit LZW algorithm, not widely used any longer.

Software to open or convert MD files

Notepad++ by Notepad++ Team

 

MarkdownPad by Apricity Software LLC

 

WinDS PRO Apps by WinDS PRO Central

 

Parallels Tools Center

 

Moneydance by The Infinite Kind

 

Free File Viewer Pro

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