Markdown Tools

mdcat

mdcat is a command-line utility designed to render Markdown files directly in the terminal, providing a more visually appealing way to view Markdown content without needing a web browser or Markdown-specific editor.

Key Features of mdcat:

1. Terminal Rendering:
   • mdcat displays Markdown content with basic formatting in your terminal, including headers, lists, code blocks, tables, and emphasis (bold, italics).
   • It supports ANSI colors to enhance the readability of the content, differentiating various Markdown elements visually.
2. Link Handling:
   • It can detect and handle links, displaying them in a way that makes them usable directly from the terminal.
   • If your terminal supports it, mdcat can make links clickable.
3. Image Display:
   • On supported terminals, mdcat can display images embedded in Markdown files directly in the terminal window. This feature is terminal-dependent and requires a terminal that supports inline images (such as iTerm2 on macOS).
4. Compatibility:
   • mdcat works on various Unix-like operating systems, including Linux and macOS. It leverages the terminal’s capabilities to render Markdown in a way that mimics what you might expect from a basic Markdown viewer in a graphical environment.
5. Navigation:
   • You can use typical terminal navigation commands (like less) to scroll through the document, making it practical for viewing longer Markdown files.

Usage

To use mdcat, you generally just pass the path to a Markdown file as an argument. Here’s an example:

mdcat README.md

This command will render the contents of README.md directly in your terminal.

Installation

mdcat can be installed through package managers or built from source. On macOS, for instance, you might install it using Homebrew:

brew install mdcat

On Linux, installation might involve using a package manager like apt (if a package is available) or building from the source available on GitHub.

Practical Use Cases

• Quick Markdown Viewing: When working in a terminal-centric environment, mdcat allows you to quickly preview Markdown files without switching to a different application.
• Documentation: Developers often use Markdown for project documentation (README.md files, for example). mdcat makes it easy to view these directly in the terminal.
• Editing Workflow: When working with Markdown documents in a terminal-based editor like vim or nano, mdcat allows you to preview changes instantly.

Overall, mdcat is a handy tool for those who frequently work in the terminal and prefer to keep their workflows streamlined and efficient.

grip

grip (short for “GitHub Readme Instant Preview”) is a command-line tool designed to render Markdown files exactly as they would appear on GitHub. This is particularly useful for developers who want to preview their README files or other Markdown documents in a GitHub-style rendering before pushing them to a repository.

Key Features of grip:

1. GitHub-Style Rendering:
   • grip uses the same Markdown engine as GitHub, ensuring that what you see locally is an accurate preview of how the content will appear on GitHub. This includes GitHub-flavored Markdown (GFM) features such as tables, task lists, and fenced code blocks with syntax highlighting.
2. Local Server:
   • When you run grip, it starts a local web server and opens your default web browser to display the rendered Markdown file. This allows you to interact with the preview as if you were viewing the document directly on GitHub.
3. Real-Time Updates:
   • grip can watch your Markdown files for changes, automatically updating the preview in your browser as you edit the file. This is particularly useful for real-time editing and previewing.
4. Simple Command-Line Interface:
   • grip is easy to use from the command line. You just point it to a Markdown file, and it handles the rest.
5. No GitHub Authentication Needed:
   • For most use cases, grip does not require authentication with GitHub. However, if you’re previewing a private repository, you can provide your GitHub credentials to grip so it can access the private content.
6. Customizable:
   • grip allows some customization, such as choosing a different port for the local server or controlling whether the server automatically opens a browser.

Usage

To use grip, you simply pass the path to a Markdown file as an argument. Here’s a basic example:

grip README.md

This command starts a local server (typically at http://localhost:6419) and opens your default browser to display the rendered README.md file.

Example Workflow

1. Install grip:
   • You can install grip using pip, the Python package manager:

     pip install grip
     

2. Preview a Markdown File:
   • Navigate to your project directory and run:

     grip
     

   • By default, grip will look for a README.md file in the current directory and render it. You can specify a different file if needed.
3. Automatic Updates:
   • While grip is running, any changes you make to the Markdown file will automatically be reflected in the browser.

Practical Use Cases

• README Previews: Before pushing changes to GitHub, you can use grip to ensure your README or other Markdown documentation looks as intended.
• Documentation Development: When writing extensive documentation in Markdown, grip allows for continuous previewing, ensuring that your content adheres to GitHub’s rendering style.
• Collaborative Reviews: You can share the local server URL with others on your local network for collaborative review of Markdown files.

Overall, grip is a useful tool for anyone who frequently works with Markdown files intended for GitHub, providing a straightforward way to ensure that content is formatted and displayed correctly.