syn sync linebreaks=1
"additions to HTML groups
-syn region htmlItalic start="\(^\|\s\)\@<=\*" end="\*\($\|\s\)\@=" keepend
-syn region htmlItalic start="\(^\|\s\)\@<=_" end="_\($\|\s\)\@=" keepend
-syn region htmlBold start="\(^\|\s\)\@<=\*\*" end="\*\*\($\|\s\)\@=" keepend
-syn region htmlBold start="\(^\|\s\)\@<=__" end="__\($\|\s\)\@=" keepend
-syn region htmlBoldItalic start="\(^\|\s\)\@<=\*\*\*" end="\*\*\*\($\|\s\)\@=" keepend
-syn region htmlBoldItalic start="\(^\|\s\)\@<=___" end="___\($\|\s\)\@=" keepend
+syn region htmlItalic start="\\\@<!\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\\\@<!\*" keepend oneline
+syn region htmlItalic start="\(^\|\s\)\@<=_\|\\\@<!_\([^_]\+\s\)\@=" end="\S\@<=_\|_\S\@=" keepend oneline
+syn region htmlBold start="\S\@<=\*\*\|\*\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\*\|\*\*\S\@=" keepend oneline
+syn region htmlBold start="\S\@<=__\|__\S\@=" end="\S\@<=__\|__\S\@=" keepend oneline
+syn region htmlBoldItalic start="\S\@<=\*\*\*\|\*\*\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\*\*\|\*\*\*\S\@=" keepend oneline
+syn region htmlBoldItalic start="\S\@<=___\|___\S\@=" end="\S\@<=___\|___\S\@=" keepend oneline
" [link](URL) | [link][id] | [link][]
syn region mkdFootnotes matchgroup=mkdDelimiter start="\[^" end="\]"
-syn region mkdLink matchgroup=mkdDelimiter start="\\\@<!\[" end="\]\ze\s*[[(]" contains=@Spell nextgroup=mkdURL,mkdID skipwhite
-syn region mkdID matchgroup=mkdDelimiter start="\[" end="\]" contained
-syn region mkdURL matchgroup=mkdDelimiter start="(" end=")" contained
+syn region mkdID matchgroup=mkdDelimiter start="\[" end="\]" oneline
+syn region mkdURL matchgroup=mkdDelimiter start="(" end=")" contained oneline
+syn region mkdLink matchgroup=mkdDelimiter start="\\\@<!\[" end="\]\ze\s*[[(]" contains=@Spell nextgroup=mkdURL,mkdID skipwhite oneline
" mkd inline links: protocol optional user:pass@ sub/domain .com, .co.uk, etc optional port path/querystring/hash fragment
" ------------ _____________________ --------------------------- ________________________ ----------------- __
syntax match mkdInlineURL /https\?:\/\/\(\w\+\(:\w\+\)\?@\)\?\([A-Za-z][-_0-9A-Za-z]*\.\)\{1,}\(\w\{2,}\.\?\)\{1,}\(:[0-9]\{1,5}\)\?\S*/
syn match mkdListItem "^\s*\d\+\.\s\+"
syn match mkdRule /^\s*\*\s\{0,1}\*\s\{0,1}\*$/
syn match mkdRule /^\s*-\s\{0,1}-\s\{0,1}-$/
-syn match mkdRule /^\s+_\s\{0,1}_\s\{0,1}_$/
+syn match mkdRule /^\s*_\s\{0,1}_\s\{0,1}_$/
syn match mkdRule /^\s*-\{3,}$/
syn match mkdRule /^\s*\*\{3,5}$/