Stories with Tag Markdown Editor

• Show HN: Marksmith – a GitHub-style Markdown editor for Ruby on Rails

  permalink

  Posted: 2025-02-03 12:53:31

  Verbose tl;dr

  Marksmith is a new open-source, WYSIWYG Markdown editor specifically designed for Ruby on Rails applications. Inspired by GitHub's editor, it offers a clean and intuitive interface for writing and previewing Markdown content. Marksmith boasts features like live previews, syntax highlighting, and seamless integration with ActionText, making it easy to incorporate rich text editing into Rails projects. It aims to provide a superior editing experience compared to existing solutions by focusing on performance, ease of use, and a familiar, GitHub-like interface.

  AvoHQ has announced the release of Marksmith, a new Markdown editor specifically designed for Ruby on Rails applications. Mimicking the familiar and intuitive editing experience of GitHub's Markdown editor, Marksmith offers a seamless and user-friendly way to compose and preview Markdown content directly within Rails projects.

  This WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor provides real-time rendering of Markdown as it's being typed, eliminating the need to constantly switch between edit and preview modes. This live preview functionality facilitates a more efficient and streamlined workflow for developers and content creators working with Markdown within a Rails environment. Furthermore, Marksmith boasts a highly performant implementation, ensuring a smooth and responsive editing experience even with large or complex Markdown documents.

  Marksmith seamlessly integrates with existing Rails applications through a straightforward installation process leveraging the familiar Rails asset pipeline. It’s distributed as a Ruby gem, simplifying integration and dependency management for developers. The editor itself is built using ViewComponent, a modern and maintainable approach to building reusable UI components within Rails applications, further enhancing its integration and flexibility.

  Beyond its core functionality, Marksmith offers a range of customizable features. Developers can tailor the editor's appearance and behavior to align with their application's specific styling and requirements. This includes options for customizing the toolbar, adding custom buttons and actions, and fine-tuning the overall look and feel of the editor.

  AvoHQ emphasizes that Marksmith is open-source and available under the MIT license, encouraging community contributions and further development of the project. They position Marksmith as a powerful and versatile solution for incorporating a robust and user-friendly Markdown editing experience into any Ruby on Rails application, benefiting both developers and end-users.

  • Ruby on Rails
  • markdown
  • Markdown Editor
  • WYSIWYG
  • GitHub Flavored Markdown
  • Rails Gem
  • Ruby Gem
  • Open Source
  • Text Editor
  • Web Development
  • Rich Text Editor
  • Marksmith
  • AvoHQ

  Summary of Comments ( 15 )
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42917712

  Verbose tl;dr

  Hacker News users discussed Marksmith's features, licensing, and alternatives. Some praised its clean interface and GitHub-flavored Markdown support, seeing it as a good option for simple Rails apps. Others questioned the need for another editor, pointing to existing solutions like ActionText and Trix. The MIT license was generally welcomed. Several commenters debated the merits of client-side vs. server-side rendering for Markdown previews, with performance and security being key concerns. Finally, some users expressed interest in a JavaScript version independent of Rails. The discussion overall was positive, but with some pragmatic skepticism about its niche.

  The Hacker News post about Marksmith, a GitHub-style Markdown editor for Ruby on Rails, has generated several comments. Many users express appreciation for the project and its clean implementation.

  One commenter highlights the pleasant editing experience, praising the speed and responsiveness of the editor, comparing it favorably to other JavaScript-heavy solutions. They specifically mention the lack of lag or delay, which they find refreshing. This commenter also points out the clever use of Stimulus and Turbo Frames, which contributes to the smooth performance.

  Another comment focuses on the licensing aspect, asking for clarification on whether Marksmith is open-source. The author of the post (and presumably the project) responds, confirming that Marksmith is indeed open-source and licensed under the MIT license. They also clarify that it's available as a gem for easy integration into Rails projects.

  A further comment delves into the technical details, inquiring about the approach taken for preview rendering. The author replies, explaining that they use a hidden iframe for rendering the preview, leveraging the existing Rails application's Markdown rendering pipeline. This approach allows them to avoid any client-side Markdown parsing or JavaScript dependencies for the preview functionality.

  Several other commenters express general approval, using phrases like "Looks nice!" and "This is awesome!". One user specifically mentions appreciating the demo and the project's overall aesthetic.

  The conversation also touches upon alternatives and comparisons. One comment mentions using the actiontext gem with Trix editor, while another suggests Tipster as a potential alternative. The original poster acknowledges these alternatives, positioning Marksmith as a lighter-weight and more performant option specifically designed for simpler Markdown editing needs.

  Overall, the comments reflect a positive reception for Marksmith, praising its performance, ease of use, and clean implementation. The discussion also highlights some of the technical choices made in the project and explores comparisons with existing solutions in the Rails ecosystem.

• Grayjay Desktop App

  permalink

  Posted: 2024-12-20 17:33:00

  Verbose tl;dr

  Grayjay is a desktop application designed to simplify self-hosting for personal use. It offers a user-friendly interface for installing and managing various self-hosted applications, including services like Nextcloud, Jellyfin, and Bitwarden, through pre-configured containers. The app automates complex setup processes, like configuring reverse proxies and SSL certificates with Let's Encrypt, making it easier for non-technical users to run their own private cloud services on their local machines. It focuses on privacy, ensuring all data remains within the user's control.

  The Grayjay Desktop application introduces a novel approach to interacting with Large Language Models (LLMs) like GPT-3.5, GPT-4, and other compatible models, directly on your desktop. It aims to be a versatile and powerful tool for various text-based tasks, offering both a streamlined user interface and advanced features for managing and optimizing interactions with these sophisticated AI models.

  Grayjay distinguishes itself by focusing on a local-first philosophy, storing all conversations and related data directly on the user's machine. This architectural choice prioritizes privacy and security, ensuring sensitive information remains under the user's control and is not transmitted to external servers. This local storage also contributes to a faster and more reliable experience, eliminating dependence on network connectivity for accessing previous interactions.

  The application features a clean and intuitive interface designed for efficient interaction. Users can easily create, organize, and manage multiple conversations, keeping track of different projects or topics. Within each conversation, the application supports various editing and formatting tools for refining prompts and responses, enhancing the overall workflow.

  Beyond basic text generation, Grayjay provides tools for prompt engineering, enabling users to craft more effective and nuanced prompts for desired outputs. This includes features like variable insertion and prompt chaining, facilitating experimentation and optimization of interactions with the LLM.

  Grayjay also offers extensibility through plugins, allowing users to customize and expand the application's functionality to suit specific needs and workflows. This plugin architecture opens up possibilities for integrating with other tools and services, further enhancing the power and versatility of the application as a central hub for LLM interaction.

  Furthermore, Grayjay Desktop is cross-platform, available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring accessibility for a wide range of users regardless of their operating system preference. The application aims to provide a seamless and consistent experience across these platforms. It’s presented as a valuable tool for both casual users exploring the capabilities of LLMs and professionals seeking to integrate these powerful models into their daily workflows.

  • Grayjay
  • Desktop App
  • productivity
  • Note-taking
  • Markdown Editor
  • Cross-Platform
  • Electron
  • Open Source
  • Offline-First
  • Data Privacy
  • Local Storage
  • knowledge management
  • Personal Knowledge Base
  • PKB
  • Digital Garden

  Summary of Comments ( 305 )
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42473032

  Verbose tl;dr

  Hacker News users discussed Grayjay's new desktop app, primarily focusing on its reliance on Electron. Several commenters expressed concern about Electron's resource usage, particularly RAM consumption, questioning if it was the best choice for a note-taking application. Some suggested alternative frameworks like Tauri or Flutter as potentially lighter-weight options. Others pointed out the benefits of Electron, such as cross-platform compatibility and ease of development, arguing that the resource usage is acceptable for many users. The discussion also touched on the app's features, with some users praising the focus on Markdown and others expressing interest in specific functionality like encryption and local storage. A few commenters mentioned existing note-taking apps and compared Grayjay's features and approach.

  The Hacker News post for Grayjay Desktop App has generated a modest number of comments, mostly focusing on technical aspects and comparisons with existing solutions.

  One commenter highlights the benefit of local-first software, appreciating that Grayjay allows users to own their data and avoid vendor lock-in. They see this as a positive trend in software development.

  Another commenter questions the necessity of a desktop app when the web app is already performant and accessible. They suggest that the development effort might be better spent on improving the web application further. This sparks a small thread where others argue that desktop apps can offer a more integrated and focused experience, free from browser distractions and with potential for better OS integration like file system access and notifications. The original commenter concedes that while web apps are generally sufficient, some users prefer desktop apps and thus having the option is beneficial.

  A technical discussion arises around the choice of using Tauri for the desktop app development. One commenter, seemingly experienced with Tauri, praises its ease of use, especially for developers already familiar with web technologies. They point out the advantage of using a single codebase for both web and desktop versions. Another commenter questions the security implications of using web technologies for a desktop app, specifically related to potential vulnerabilities arising from the JavaScript ecosystem. However, a counter-argument suggests that Tauri's architecture mitigates some of these concerns through its sandboxing mechanisms. The discussion around Tauri doesn't reach a definitive conclusion but offers multiple perspectives on its pros and cons.

  One commenter mentions using the web app with Rambox, a multi-messenger application, highlighting a potential alternative to a dedicated desktop app. This suggests that some users are primarily looking for a way to integrate Grayjay into their existing workflow rather than necessarily needing a standalone application.

  Finally, there's a brief exchange regarding the monetization strategy of Grayjay, with a commenter inquiring about future plans. The developer responds by stating their intent to keep the core product free and potentially introduce paid features for power users down the line.

  Overall, the comments reveal a general appreciation for the concept of a Grayjay desktop app, while also prompting a healthy discussion around technical choices, alternative solutions, and the evolving landscape of web vs. desktop applications. The conversation, while not extensive, provides valuable insights into user perspectives and potential areas of improvement for the project.