# Div block syntax

**URL:** <https://talk.commonmark.org/t/div-block-syntax/2283>\
**Category:** Extensions\
**Created:** [October 31, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://talk.commonmark.org/t/div-block-syntax/2283 "2016-10-31T19:09:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 9

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**Author:** ![chrisalley](https://cdn.commonmark.org/user_avatar/talk.commonmark.org/chrisalley/32/906_2.png) [@chrisalley](https://talk.commonmark.org/u/chrisalley)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 8:48pm UTC](https://talk.commonmark.org/t/div-block-syntax/2283/9 "2016-11-01T20:48:19Z")

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Given that CommonMark can be converted to formats other than HTML (PDF, etc), creating a syntax for `<div>` may be too specific. A div is a container element, so perhaps a syntax for “containers” is what is required here.

My points could be applied to containers in general (div, aside, or other); I’m essentially asking whether we need a special syntax just for containers or if existing syntax can be reused for specific use cases. We already have syntax for block quotes, code blocks, and potentially (via an extension) [pre-formatted blocks](https://talk.commonmark.org/t/default-line-break-handling-is-inconvenient/280/56?u=chrisalley) - are there use cases that warrant another syntax that could not be solved by existing block syntax with classes?

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_[View the full topic](https://talk.commonmark.org/t/div-block-syntax/2283)._