https://github.com/cschuman/inkwell
Native macOS markdown viewer built with C++20 and Cocoa. Clean, lightweight, and reliable with real-time file watching, command palette, drag & drop with visual effects, and table of contents navigation. A simple yet powerful markdown viewer that just works.
https://github.com/cschuman/inkwell
cpp macos markdown markdown-viewer native-app
Last synced: 5 months ago
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Native macOS markdown viewer built with C++20 and Cocoa. Clean, lightweight, and reliable with real-time file watching, command palette, drag & drop with visual effects, and table of contents navigation. A simple yet powerful markdown viewer that just works.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/cschuman/inkwell
- Owner: cschuman
- License: mit
- Created: 2025-08-12T02:22:23.000Z (11 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2025-08-23T02:00:18.000Z (10 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-08-23T04:19:11.668Z (10 months ago)
- Topics: cpp, macos, markdown, markdown-viewer, native-app
- Language: Objective-C++
- Homepage:
- Size: 854 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Inkwell
A fast, native markdown viewer for macOS. Clean, focused, and efficient.
## Features
- **Native macOS application** with full Cocoa integration
- **Lightning fast** - Opens 14MB files in ~1 second
- **File watching** for automatic refresh when files change
- **Session memory** - Remembers last opened file and window position
- **Export support** - PDF and HTML export
- **Command palette** (⌘K) for quick actions
- **Focus mode** - Highlight current paragraph with arrow navigation
- **Recent files menu** - Quick access to recent documents
- **Dark mode** support with system preference detection
- **Zoom controls** - Adjust text size to preference
## Installation
### Via Homebrew (Recommended)
```bash
brew tap cschuman/tap
brew install --cask inkwell
```
### Direct Download
Download the latest DMG from [Releases](https://github.com/cschuman/inkwell/releases/latest)
### Build from Source
Requirements:
- macOS 11.0 or later
- Xcode Command Line Tools
- CMake 3.20+
- vcpkg
```bash
# Install dependencies
vcpkg install
# Build
cmake -B build -S . -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=$VCPKG_ROOT/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake
cmake --build build -j$(sysctl -n hw.ncpu)
# Install to /Applications
cmake --install build --prefix /Applications
```
## Usage
Open markdown files:
```bash
open -a Inkwell document.md
```
Or drag and drop markdown files onto the application icon.
## Keyboard Shortcuts
### File Operations
- `⌘O` - Open file
- `⌘S` - Save (if editing)
- `⌘W` - Close window
- `⌘Q` - Quit application
### Navigation
- `⌘K` - Open command palette
- `⌘.` - Toggle focus mode
- `↑/↓` - Navigate paragraphs (in focus mode)
- `⌘F` - Find in document
- `⌘G` - Find next
- `⌘⇧G` - Find previous
### View
- `⌘+` - Zoom in
- `⌘-` - Zoom out
- `⌘0` - Reset zoom
- `⌘T` - Toggle table of contents
- `⌘B` - Toggle file browser
### Vim-style Navigation
- `j/k` - Scroll down/up
- `h/l` - Scroll left/right
- `gg` - Go to top
- `G` - Go to bottom
## Architecture
Inkwell is built with:
- **C++20** for core logic
- **Objective-C++** for macOS integration
- **NSTextView** for text rendering
- **md4c** for markdown parsing
- **FSEvents** for file monitoring
## License
MIT License - See LICENSE file for details
## Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit pull requests.
## Philosophy
> "The best code is the code you don't write."
Inkwell v1.0.9 represents a major cleanup based on expert review. We removed over 2,000 lines of unnecessary effects code to focus on what matters: **fast, reliable markdown viewing**.
## Project Status
**Current Version: 1.0.9** (January 2025)
Recent focus:
- ✅ Removed 2,000+ lines of unnecessary effects code
- ✅ Fixed fundamental features
- ✅ Improved performance and reliability
- ✅ Reduced binary size
See [ROADMAP.md](docs/ROADMAP.md) for future plans.