5 ms·

IMO, the markdown editors that format the text you're editing, but still retain the markdown, are the very best. They're a good compromise between readability a

IMO, the markdown editors that format the text you're editing, but still retain the markdown, are the very best. They're a good compromise between readability and functionality. Editors like this (and typora) that obscure the markdown tend to make it more awkward to change a heading level, for example.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
reificator 9y ago
I typed up a large response rebutting this, until I realized that still retain the markdown meant that it was still there visually. I thought you wanted to type markdown, and then have it transform as soon as it had enough context to do so. Which sounds like the worst of all worlds. Now that I re-read your comment I understand that I actually agree with you 100%.
jcadam 9y ago
I think most folks who are comfortable with markdown would agree with this (including me). When I needed a markdown editor for my current project (https://www.contabulo.com https://www.contabulo.com), I just forked SimpleMDE (https://github.com/Ionaru/simplemde-markdown-editor https://github.com/Ionaru/simplemde-markdown-editor), which is my favorite so far, and started hacking at it to add application-specific functionality (amusingly, bringing in a markdown editor about doubled the size of my application javascript over just using a plain 'ol html textbox -- but nobody likes a plain textbox). I'm personally dubious on live preview as well, depending on the use case. I usually don't find it very useful - unless saving/publishing is some sort of final, irreversible action (submitting resumes to jobs, etc.) :) OTOH, novice users may like the markdown being obscured, so maybe it's all just a matter of taste.
- repsilat 9y ago
  > novice users Non-programmers, really. Most people who write in Paper see the markdown as a shortcut, not the underlying truth. This sort of interface for Reddit comments would lower the barrier to entry fairly substantially. Leaving `#` characters at the start of headings would annoy people more than the ¶ marks in Word. "Why is there this gunk in my text? How do I get rid of it?"
enobrev 9y ago
I used to agree with this, but since I started using Dropbox Paper as my primary editor, I've changed my mind. I don't need to see the markup if the editor / formatting works consistently. The different header sizes are immediately obvious without trying to find how many #'s there are. Monospace words and sections are immediately apparent without trying to figure out if i used backticks or apostrophes. And I don't want to "Preview", even if it's a live Preview. I want to see my fully formatted document as I type it without switching context. On that note, one thing I wish _all_ markdown editors would pick up, and have only seen on StackOverflow, is the "Reference Style" links, where you can denote a link using something like [1], and then list the url below the text. I have never once, ever, needed to know and immediately see a full url while reading or editing text. Inline urls actively make editing and reviewing more difficult. This is hidden by Dropbox Paper with an actual link as expected, but their export still has inline urls, which is standard, of course, but I don't agree with the standard.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- lstamour 9y ago
  > ... But their export still has inline urls, which is standard, of course, but I don't agree with the standard. Just to clarify, inline urls are one of the two standard [Markdown link styles](https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax#link https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax#link). The other is [reference-style][ref]. [ref]: https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax#link https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax#link
  - enobrev 9y ago
    Thank you, I hadn't realized that was actually part of the spec. I also hadn't realized how long it had been since I actually read that document.
codemac 9y ago
This is why I think "decorated" w/key bindings to edit in a structured way is basically the best. See: org-mode.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

reificator 9y ago

I typed up a large response rebutting this, until I realized that still retain the markdown meant that it was still there visually. I thought you wanted to type markdown, and then have it transform as soon as it had enough context to do so. Which sounds like the worst of all worlds. Now that I re-read your comment I understand that I actually agree with you 100%.

jcadam 9y ago

I think most folks who are comfortable with markdown would agree with this (including me). When I needed a markdown editor for my current project (https://www.contabulo.com https://www.contabulo.com), I just forked SimpleMDE (https://github.com/Ionaru/simplemde-markdown-editor https://github.com/Ionaru/simplemde-markdown-editor), which is my favorite so far, and started hacking at it to add application-specific functionality (amusingly, bringing in a markdown editor about doubled the size of my application javascript over just using a plain 'ol html textbox -- but nobody likes a plain textbox). I'm personally dubious on live preview as well, depending on the use case. I usually don't find it very useful - unless saving/publishing is some sort of final, irreversible action (submitting resumes to jobs, etc.) :) OTOH, novice users may like the markdown being obscured, so maybe it's all just a matter of taste.

repsilat 9y ago
> novice users Non-programmers, really. Most people who write in Paper see the markdown as a shortcut, not the underlying truth. This sort of interface for Reddit comments would lower the barrier to entry fairly substantially. Leaving `#` characters at the start of headings would annoy people more than the ¶ marks in Word. "Why is there this gunk in my text? How do I get rid of it?"

enobrev 9y ago

I used to agree with this, but since I started using Dropbox Paper as my primary editor, I've changed my mind. I don't need to see the markup if the editor / formatting works consistently. The different header sizes are immediately obvious without trying to find how many #'s there are. Monospace words and sections are immediately apparent without trying to figure out if i used backticks or apostrophes. And I don't want to "Preview", even if it's a live Preview. I want to see my fully formatted document as I type it without switching context. On that note, one thing I wish _all_ markdown editors would pick up, and have only seen on StackOverflow, is the "Reference Style" links, where you can denote a link using something like [1], and then list the url below the text. I have never once, ever, needed to know and immediately see a full url while reading or editing text. Inline urls actively make editing and reviewing more difficult. This is hidden by Dropbox Paper with an actual link as expected, but their export still has inline urls, which is standard, of course, but I don't agree with the standard.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
lstamour 9y ago
> ... But their export still has inline urls, which is standard, of course, but I don't agree with the standard. Just to clarify, inline urls are one of the two standard [Markdown link styles](https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax#link https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax#link). The other is [reference-style][ref]. [ref]: https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax#link https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax#link
- enobrev 9y ago
  Thank you, I hadn't realized that was actually part of the spec. I also hadn't realized how long it had been since I actually read that document.

codemac 9y ago

This is why I think "decorated" w/key bindings to edit in a structured way is basically the best. See: org-mode.