# Underscore formatting rules may be too greedy
**URL:** https://discourse.notenik.app/t/underscore-formatting-rules-may-be-too-greedy/699
**Category:** Annoyances
**Created:** [April 15, 2025, 11:32pm UTC](https://discourse.notenik.app/t/underscore-formatting-rules-may-be-too-greedy/699 "2025-04-15T23:32:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Malcolm](https://discourse.notenik.app/u/Malcolm)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2025, 11:32pm UTC](https://discourse.notenik.app/t/underscore-formatting-rules-may-be-too-greedy/699/1 "2025-04-15T23:32:44Z")
I’m documenting the internals of software. Object names often include underscore characters, e.g., “name\_of\_the\_thing.”
I’m running into trouble with the way that Notenik applies markdown formatting.
For this string: “See kd\_Settings \> MainGroup\_Access.”
It formats as “See kd_Settings \> MainGroup_Access.”
---
### Author:  [@hbowie](https://discourse.notenik.app/u/hbowie)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2025, 1:16am UTC](https://discourse.notenik.app/t/underscore-formatting-rules-may-be-too-greedy/699/2 "2025-04-16T01:16:18Z")
Let me take a look at this and see what I can do.
---
### Author:  [@Malcolm](https://discourse.notenik.app/u/Malcolm)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2025, 1:50am UTC](https://discourse.notenik.app/t/underscore-formatting-rules-may-be-too-greedy/699/3 "2025-04-16T01:50:27Z")
If the current behaviour matches the specifications I’m happy to find work-arounds. I’ve noticed that applying CODE formatting to the strings alleviates the problem.
---
### Author:  [@hbowie](https://discourse.notenik.app/u/hbowie)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2025, 6:47pm UTC](https://discourse.notenik.app/t/underscore-formatting-rules-may-be-too-greedy/699/4 "2025-04-16T18:47:03Z")
Check out the [latest beta](https://discourse.notenik.app/t/notenik-16-7-2-available-for-beta-testing-on-april-16th-2025/700) and let me know how this works for you.
I did investigate some, and found that the [Markdown Guide](https://www.markdownguide.org/basic-syntax/#emphasis) contained some indication that only asterisks should be allowed to trigger emphasis within a word, so that’s the way Notenik should now behave.