A macOS Quick Look extension for previewing Markdown, R Markdown, Quarto, and other text-based files with rich formatting and syntax highlighting.
QLMarkdown is a macOS Quick Look extension that allows users to preview Markdown and related files directly in Finder with rich formatting. It solves the problem of needing to open a separate editor to view formatted Markdown, providing syntax highlighting, math rendering, and diagram support within the native macOS file preview system.
macOS users who work with Markdown, R Markdown, Quarto, or technical documentation and want a quick, formatted preview without leaving Finder. It's particularly useful for developers, technical writers, and researchers.
Developers choose QLMarkdown for its deep integration with macOS Quick Look, extensive support for Markdown extensions (like GitHub Flavored Markdown), and features like Mermaid diagrams and MathJax rendering that are not available in the default Quick Look.
macOS Quick Look extension for Markdown files.
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Uses cmark-gfm with extensions for GitHub Flavored Markdown, emoji, math, and diagrams, supporting formats like R Markdown, Quarto, and MDX as noted in the README.
Seamlessly integrates with macOS Quick Look for instant previews in Finder without opening separate apps, enhancing workflow efficiency.
Includes MathJax for LaTeX math, Mermaid for offline diagram rendering, and syntax highlighting with the Highlight library, all configurable via settings.
Offers built-in themes and allows custom CSS for light/dark mode adaptation, with options to tweak extensions like emoji and image embedding.
Includes qlmarkdown_cli for batch converting Markdown files to HTML, with override options for rendering settings, as detailed in the CLI section.
The app is not notarized or signed, triggering macOS security warnings and requiring manual steps like right-click opening or terminal commands, which can be a barrier for less technical users.
Only available for macOS, limiting its utility for users on other operating systems or in mixed-OS environments.
Explicitly not a standalone editor; it only previews files, so users must rely on other tools for editing, reducing its all-in-one utility.
Building from source requires multiple dependencies like autoconf, cmake, and go, along with handling submodules, making it challenging for casual contributors.