How to display the pipe (|) symbol in a markdown table?

Markdown is a lightweight markup language that is widely used for creating formatted text using a plain-text editor. One of its most useful features is the ability to create tables, which can be especially handy for organizing data. However, when it comes to displaying certain characters, like the pipe (|) symbol, things can get a bit tricky.

In this blog post, we’ll explore how to correctly include the pipe symbol in Markdown tables without disrupting the table structure.

Understanding the Pipe Symbol in Markdown Tables

In Markdown, tables are constructed using pipes to separate columns and dashes to create the header row. For example:

| Header 1 | Header 2 |
| -------- | -------- |
| Cell 1   | Cell 2   |

In this basic table, the pipe symbol (|) is used to define the boundaries between columns.

But what if you need to include the pipe symbol as part of the cell content? Simply adding a pipe symbol without proper handling can cause the table to break or misalign.

1. Escaping the Pipe Symbol

The most straightforward way to include a pipe symbol is to escape it using a backslash (\). When you escape the pipe symbol, Markdown recognizes it as a literal character instead of a table delimiter.

Example:

| Name       | Operator |
| ---------- | -------- |
| Logical OR | \|\|     |

Result:

In this example, the pipe symbol in the cell content is displayed correctly because of the backslash escape.

2. Use HTML Entities

Another way to include the pipe symbol is by using its HTML entity code. The HTML entity for the pipe symbol is |. When you use this within your table, it will display as a pipe symbol in the rendered Markdown.

Here’s an example:

| Operator   | Example      |
| ---------- | ------------ |
| OR         | |       |
| Logical OR | || |

Result:

Conclusion

Including a pipe symbol (|) within a Markdown table cell requires a bit of extra attention to prevent it from being interpreted as a column separator. By escaping the pipe or using HTML entities, you can ensure that your tables render as intended while displaying the pipe symbol correctly.

Next time you need to include a pipe symbol in a Markdown table, just remember these simple techniques, and your tables will look great!