Minimal, native macOS markdown editor built with SwiftUI + AppKit. Folder-based workspace, inline markdown rendering, and distraction-free writing.
- Multi-tab editing with dirty indicators and autosave
- Inline markdown rendering -- bold, italic, code, headings, links, strikethrough styled in real-time
- Interactive checkboxes -- visual checkbox rendering over
[ ] / [x] syntax
- Inline image preview -- images embedded directly in the editor (PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP, HEIC, SVG, and more)
- Command palette (
Cmd+P) -- fuzzy search for commands, headings (@), and goto line (:)
- Document outline (
Cmd+Shift+O) -- heading navigation with active section tracking
- Daily notes with calendar (
Cmd+Shift+C) -- monthly calendar view, auto-organized Daily/YYYY-MM/YYYY-MM-DD folder structure
- Built-in terminal (
Cmd+J) -- persistent shell session via SwiftTerm, resizable panel
- Full-text search (
Cmd+Shift+F) -- search across all markdown files in the workspace
- In-file search (
Cmd+F) -- find with match highlighting and navigation
- Sidebar file tree -- hierarchical navigation with custom folder icons and colors
- Distraction-free mode (
Cmd+/) -- hide sidebar for focused writing
- Zoom controls --
Cmd++ / Cmd+- / Cmd+0 (50%-200%)
- Dark / Light / System themes -- cycle with
Cmd+T
- Breadcrumb navigation -- current file path in the editor header
- Status bar -- line/column, word count, reading time, save status
Requires macOS 13+ and Swift 5.9+.
- Open
Package.swift in Xcode.
- Select the
Axis scheme.
- Run.
The app bundle will be at dist/Axis.app.
| Shortcut |
Action |
Cmd+O |
Open folder |
Cmd+N |
New markdown file |
Cmd+Shift+N |
New folder |
Cmd+S |
Save |
Cmd+W |
Close tab |
Cmd+Shift+Delete |
Delete file |
| Shortcut |
Action |
Cmd+B |
Bold |
Cmd+I |
Italic |
Cmd+E |
Inline code |
Cmd+Shift+E |
Code block |
Cmd+Shift+D |
Strikethrough |
Cmd+K |
Insert link |
Cmd+Shift+I |
Insert image |
Cmd+Shift+H |
Cycle heading level |
Cmd+1/2/3 |
Heading 1/2/3 |
Cmd+Shift+T |
Toggle checkbox |
| Shortcut |
Action |
Cmd+F |
Find in file |
Cmd+Shift+F |
Search all files |
Cmd+G |
Next match |
Cmd+Shift+G |
Previous match |
Cmd+P |
Command palette |
| Shortcut |
Action |
Cmd+/ |
Toggle sidebar |
Cmd+Shift+O |
Toggle outline |
Cmd+Shift+C |
Toggle calendar |
Cmd+J |
Toggle terminal |
Cmd+Shift+L |
Toggle line wrap |
Cmd+T |
Cycle theme |
Cmd+{ |
Previous tab |
Cmd+} |
Next tab |
Cmd++ |
Zoom in |
Cmd+- |
Zoom out |
Cmd+0 |
Reset zoom |
- Font: Roboto Mono throughout (bundled, 6 weights)
- Theme: Adaptive dark/light with subtle grayscale palette
- Spacing: 8px grid system
- Philosophy: Minimal UI, no distractions, smooth animations
- The file tree shows
.md files, image files, and folders. Hidden files are excluded.
- New files are always created with a
.md extension.
- Autosave triggers after a 2-second debounce on text changes.
- Folder customizations (icons, colors) are persisted per project.
- Terminal opens in the current file's directory.
