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---
title: "Format messages"
date: 2020-07-15T18:05:37+02:00
draft: false
chapter: true
weight: 30
---
## Write and read messages
Messages are sent with the **Enter key**. Press Shift + Enter for a line break.
**files** (also images) up to a size of 10MB are possible to send. Select the paper clip for this purpose. The sidebar with the document symbol shows the files within a room. Larger files are shared via the [cloudstore of h_da](https://cloud.h-da.de) and a share link.
Matrix Element allows message text formatted in the markup language [**MarkDown**](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markdown). Here are some examples:
| result | to type |
|:------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------:|
| **Bold** | ```**Bold**``` |
| *Italic* | ```_Italic_``` |
| \| quote | ```> quote``` |
| **Heading 1** | ```# Heading 1``` |
| Heading 2 | ```## Heading 2``` |
Sandra Hornig
committed
| [Matrix Help](https://its.h-da.io/element-docs/en/) | ```[Matrix Help](https://its.h-da.io/element-docs/en/)``` |
|  | `````` |
| list entries | ```* list entry```<br/>```* list entry```<br/>```* list entry```<br/> |
| numbered lists | ```1. numbered list```<br/>```2. numbered list```<br/>```3. numbered list```<br/> |
The current [MarkDown specification is here](https://spec.commonmark.org/current/).
LaTeX formula input is supported as well.
**Hashtags** are used to make terms easier to find in the search.
**Smileys** are used with a starting colon ":"
If there are more unread messages in a room than the screen can display, clicking on the icon to the right of the central content with a triangle pointing up and a dot pointing up will jump to the oldest unread message.
Similarly, to jump to the latest timestamp of a conversation click on the triangle at the bottom of a circle on the right edge of the central content page.
A theme-based presentation (also called "threading") that is similarly good as [Zulip](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zulip) (by themes in each room/group/stream/channel) or in other programs by using a 3rd column does not exist with Matrix/Element, but is available as a wish: https://github.com/vector-im/element-web/issues/2349