With IPython/Jupyter it's possible to output markdown using the IPython display module and its `MarkDown`class.

Question

How can I accomplish this with Azure Databricks?

What I tried

Databricks `display`

Tried using Databrick's display with the IPython Markdown class:

from IPython.display import Markdown
display(Markdown('*some markdown* test'))

but this results in the following error:

Exception: Cannot call display(<class 'IPython.core.display.Markdown'>)

IPython `display`

I then tried to use IPython's display:

from IPython.display import display, Markdown
display(Markdown('*some markdown* test'))

but this just displays the text:

<IPython.core.display.Markdown object>

IPython `display_markdown`

Tried using IPython's `display_markdown`:

from IPython.display import display_markdown
display_markdown('# Markdown is here!\n*some markdown*\n- and\n- some\n- more')

but this results in nothing showing up:

Looking up documentation

Also tried checking Azure Databricks documentation. At first I visited https://www.databricks.com/databricks-documentation which leads me to https://docs.microsoft.com/en-ca/azure/databricks/ but I wasn't able to find anything via searching or clicking the links and I usually find Microsoft documentation quite good. However, according to this page, Databricks is using IPython kernel so I guess it's unclear what portions of IPython can be used and which cannot.

Checking Databrick's `display` source

According to Databrick's source for the `display` function, it will readily render any object that implements `_repr_html()`.

However I'm having a hard time being able to get the raw html output that I'm assuming `IPython.display.Markdown` should be able to output. I can only find `_repr_markdown_()` and `_data_and_metadata()` where the former just calls the latter and the output, at least in Databricks, is just the original raw markdown string.