Markdown Reader

Markdown Reader is a clean and intuitive Markdown reader with real-time preview support, dark mode toggle, and drag-and-drop file opening. It is compatible with macOS and Windows desktop environments and built with pure Python and Tkinter.

Features

• Real-time preview of Markdown rendered to HTML.
• Dark mode toggle.
• Drag-and-drop support for .md, .html, and .pdf files with automatic conversion to Markdown (requires tkinterdnd2).
• Built with pure Python and Tkinter — cross-platform.
• Can be bundled as a macOS app using py2app.
• Opens preview automatically and avoids multiple browser tabs for a smoother experience.

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Editor Overview

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Preview Overview

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Installation & Usage

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/petertzy/markdown-reader.git
cd markdown-reader

2. Create a virtual environment (recommended)

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # macOS/Linux
# .\venv\Scripts\activate  # Windows (cmd/powershell)

3. Install dependencies

For Mac users, you should first complete the preparation steps described in the PrepareForMacUser file.

For Windows users, WeasyPrint requires additional system libraries. Complete the preparation steps described in the PrepareForWindowsUser file before running pip install.

pip install -r requirements.txt

💡 If drag-and-drop doesn't work on macOS, consider using the tkinterDnD2 fork.

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Running the Application

python app.py

How to Use

• Open File: Choose .md, .html, or .pdf file from the "File → Open File" menu.
• Drag-and-Drop: Drag .md, .html, or .pdf files directly into the app window (HTML and PDF files are automatically converted to Markdown).
• Dark Mode: Toggle via “View → Toggle Dark Mode”.
• Preview: Automatically opens in your web browser, only one tab is opened per session.

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Packaging as a macOS App (Optional)

To bundle this app as a .app, install py2app and create a setup.py script:

Build the App

rm -rf build dist
python setup.py py2app

The generated app will be located in the dist/ folder. You can launch it by double-clicking. To use it like a regular app, move it to your Applications folder.

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Exit the Virtual Environment

deactivate

Submit Changes to Git

git add .
git commit -m "Update"  # Replace "Update" with a meaningful commit message
git push

Technical Details

• GUI: tkinter, tkinterdnd2
• Markdown Engine: markdown2
• HTML Preview: Dynamically generated HTML opened in the default browser
• File Conversion: html2text for HTML, pypdf for PDF import
• PDF Export: Browser-based print-to-PDF (no system dependencies required)
• Supports drag-and-drop and live preview updates while avoiding multiple browser tabs

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.
See the LICENSE file for the full text.

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Contributing

All contributions are welcome, including:

• Bug reports
• Feature suggestions
• Pull requests
• Documentation improvements

Please see our CONTRIBUTING guide for more details on how to get started, submit changes, or report issues.