Live Markdown Editor

Overview

A distraction-free markdown editor that renders your content in real-time. Built to understand how markdown parsers work and how to create smooth editing experiences.

Features

• Split view: Edit on the left, preview on the right
• Syntax highlighting: Visual cues while typing
• Keyboard shortcuts: Common formatting with hotkeys
• Local storage: Your work is saved automatically

Technical Approach

Rather than using a heavy WYSIWYG editor, this experiment uses a simple textarea with a custom markdown renderer. This keeps the experience fast and predictable.

The markdown is parsed using a streaming approach that updates the preview as you type without noticeable delay.

Lessons Learned

1. Debouncing input is crucial for performance
2. Virtual scrolling helps with long documents
3. The editing experience matters as much as the output
4. Simple tools are often more useful than feature-rich ones