@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+//nolint:wrapcheck
+package variable
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+
+	"github.com/yuin/goldmark"
+	"github.com/yuin/goldmark/ast"
+	"github.com/yuin/goldmark/parser"
+	"github.com/yuin/goldmark/renderer"
+	"github.com/yuin/goldmark/renderer/html"
+	"github.com/yuin/goldmark/text"
+	"github.com/yuin/goldmark/util"
+)
+
+// Node represents a variable reference node in markdown AST.
+type Node struct {
+	ast.BaseInline
+	VarName []byte
+}
+
+// Inline implements ast.Inline interface.
+func (n *Node) Inline() bool {
+	return true
+}
+
+// Kind implements ast.Node.Kind interface.
+func (n *Node) Kind() ast.NodeKind {
+	return KindVar
+}
+
+// Dump implements ast.Node.Dump interface.
+func (n *Node) Dump(source []byte, level int) {
+	ast.DumpHelper(n, source, level, map[string]string{
+		"VarName": string(n.VarName),
+	}, nil)
+}
+
+// KindVar is a NodeKind for variable nodes.
+var KindVar = ast.NewNodeKind("Var")
+
+// Parser is a Goldmark inline parser for parsing variable nodes.
+//
+// Variable references have the format {var}`pkgs.virtualbox` which will be rendered as
+// a var HTML element with the variable name.
+type Parser struct{}
+
+var _ parser.InlineParser = (*Parser)(nil)
+
+// Trigger reports characters that trigger this parser.
+func (*Parser) Trigger() []byte {
+	return []byte{'{'}
+}
+
+// Parse parses a variable node.
+func (p *Parser) Parse(_ ast.Node, block text.Reader, _ parser.Context) ast.Node {
+	line, segment := block.PeekLine()
+
+	// Check if we have enough characters for {var}`
+	if len(line) < 6 || line[0] != '{' {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Check for {var}` prefix
+	if !bytes.HasPrefix(line, []byte("{var}`")) {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Skip the {var}` prefix
+	line = line[6:]
+	start := segment.Start + 6
+
+	// Find the closing backtick
+	endPos := bytes.IndexByte(line, '`')
+	if endPos < 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Extract the variable name
+	varName := line[:endPos]
+	if len(varName) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Create the node
+	n := &Node{
+		VarName: varName,
+	}
+
+	// Set the text segment to include the entire {var}`name` text
+	textSegment := text.NewSegment(segment.Start, start+endPos+1)
+	n.AppendChild(n, ast.NewTextSegment(textSegment))
+
+	// Advance the reader past this node
+	block.Advance(6 + endPos + 1) // {var}` + name + `
+
+	return n
+}
+
+// HTMLRenderer is a renderer for variable nodes.
+type HTMLRenderer struct {
+	html.Config
+}
+
+// NewHTMLRenderer returns a new HTMLRenderer.
+func NewHTMLRenderer(opts ...html.Option) renderer.NodeRenderer {
+	r := &HTMLRenderer{
+		Config: html.NewConfig(),
+	}
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		opt.SetHTMLOption(&r.Config)
+	}
+
+	return r
+}
+
+// RegisterFuncs implements renderer.NodeRenderer.RegisterFuncs.
+func (r *HTMLRenderer) RegisterFuncs(reg renderer.NodeRendererFuncRegisterer) {
+	reg.Register(KindVar, r.renderVar)
+}
+
+func (r *HTMLRenderer) renderVar(
+	w util.BufWriter,
+	source []byte, //nolint:revive
+	node ast.Node,
+	entering bool,
+) (ast.WalkStatus, error) {
+	if !entering {
+		return ast.WalkContinue, nil
+	}
+
+	n := node.(*Node)
+
+	if _, err := w.WriteString("<var>"); err != nil {
+		return ast.WalkStop, err
+	}
+
+	if _, err := w.Write(n.VarName); err != nil {
+		return ast.WalkStop, err
+	}
+
+	if _, err := w.WriteString("</var>"); err != nil {
+		return ast.WalkStop, err
+	}
+
+	return ast.WalkSkipChildren, nil
+}
+
+// Extension is a goldmark extension for variable references.
+type Extension struct{}
+
+// Extend implements goldmark.Extender.Extend.
+func (e *Extension) Extend(m goldmark.Markdown) {
+	// Register the parser
+	m.Parser().AddOptions(
+		parser.WithInlineParsers(
+			util.Prioritized(new(Parser), 100),
+		),
+	)
+
+	// Register the renderer
+	m.Renderer().AddOptions(
+		renderer.WithNodeRenderers(
+			util.Prioritized(NewHTMLRenderer(), 500),
+		),
+	)
+}
+
+// New returns a new variable extension.
+func New() goldmark.Extender {
+	return &Extension{}
+}