SnapDock

A Minimal, Modern Markdown Editor

Status: Stable (V2 Classic) • Actively Maintained • V3 in development • Accepting Contributions

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Why This Exists

Most Markdown editors fall into two extremes: they’re either too minimal to be useful or overloaded with plugins, settings, and IDE‑level complexity. There was no middle ground — nothing stable, calm, and modern that simply lets people write.

SnapDock was created to fill that gap.
It provides a predictable, distraction‑free Markdown workspace for writers, developers, and creators who want clarity, speed, and a local‑first environment that stays out of the way.

Overview

SnapDock is a modern, distraction-free Markdown editor built for people who want to write without fighting their tools.

It focuses on clarity, stability, and local-first writing — offering a calm editing experience without plugin overload, IDE complexity, or unnecessary workflow friction.

SnapDock sits between minimalist note apps and heavily extensible writing platforms, providing a predictable and focused desktop writing experience that stays fast and approachable.

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Features

• Multi‑tab Markdown editing
• Drag‑and‑drop tab reordering
• Selectable preview modes
• Workspace‑based file management
• Recent file tracking
• Local‑first document workflow
• Lightweight, modern UI
• Multiple built‑in themes
• Cross‑platform desktop support

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Requirements

SnapDock runs on any modern system that supports Electron‑based desktop apps. No additional runtimes or dependencies need to be installed.

Operating System

• Windows 10 or later
• Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch, Mint, Pop!_OS, etc.)
• WSL is supported (in‑app updater disabled)
• macOS support is not currently available

Hardware

• CPU: 1 core minimum (2 cores recommended)
• Memory: 512 MB minimum (1 GB recommended)
• Disk Space: ~750 MB

Performance SnapDock typically uses around 180 MB RAM and under 1% CPU during normal editing, making it suitable for low‑power laptops, VMs, and older hardware.

Note for Linux users:
SnapDock AppImage builds require FUSE to run.
Some modern Linux distributions no longer ship FUSE by default.
Install it using your package manager (e.g. sudo apt install libfuse2 on Ubuntu/Debian).

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Quick Start

Get SnapDock running from source:

git clone https://github.com/ZFordDev/SnapDock.git
cd SnapDock

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build a development build
npm run build:dev

Windows

• npm install | npm run build:dev
• If npm is missing, install Node.js from https://nodejs.org

Linux

• npm install && npm run build:dev
• If npm is missing: sudo apt install npm

Note: AppImage builds require FUSE on some distros (sudo apt install libfuse2).

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Installation

SnapDock is available through official stores for the easiest and most reliable installation experience.

Windows (Recommended)

Install SnapDock directly from the Microsoft Store:

👉 https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/{Placeholder}

Windows Store pending review

This provides:

• Automatic updates
• Clean installation & removal
• Verified publisher security

A standalone .exe installer is also available on GitHub Releases if preferred.

Linux (Recommended)

SnapDock is available on the Snap Store:

👉 https://snapcraft.io/markdown-workspace

Install via terminal:

sudo snap install markdown-workspace

This provides:

• Automatic updates
• Sandboxed, secure environment
• Works across all major distros

Manual Linux Packages

If you prefer manual installation:

AppImage

chmod +x SnapDock-Setup.AppImage
./SnapDock-Setup.AppImage

If your distro blocks AppImages, install FUSE or use the .deb package instead.

.deb Package

• Double‑click to install via your Software Center
  or

sudo apt install ./SnapDock-Setup.deb

Other Downloads

All installers and portable builds are available on GitHub Releases:

👉 https://github.com/ZFordDev/SnapDock/releases

No additional runtimes or dependencies are required.

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Project Structure

SnapDock uses a clean, modular layout. Only the high‑level structure is shown

SnapDock/
├── assets/                 # App icons, images, and user guide resources
│
├── src/
│   ├── modules/            # Core application logic
│   │   ├── file/           # File operations, autosave, workspace, tabs
│   │   ├── markdown.js     # Markdown rendering pipeline
│   │   ├── pdf/            # PDF export templates and logic
│   │   ├── system/         # Dirty state + update system
│   │   ├── ui/             # UI logic (menus, themes, editor state)
│   │   └── updater/        # In-app update system
│   │
│   ├── styles/             # CSS structure (base, components, themes)
│   ├── preload.js          # Electron preload bridge
│   ├── scripts.js          # Renderer scripts
│   └── styles.css          # Entry stylesheet
│
├── index.html              # Main application window
├── main.js                 # Electron main process
├── build.js                # Build pipeline
│
├── README.md
├── LICENSE
├── CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
├── CONTRIBUTING.md
├── SECURITY.md
└── temp_notes.md           # Internal notes (not part of the app)

Roadmap

SnapDock’s roadmap reflects active GitHub issues and near‑term development priorities.
For the most up‑to‑date list, visit:
https://github.com/ZFordDev/SnapDock/issues

Core Improvements

• Diff Viewer
  Side‑by‑side diffing for Markdown documents
  (#154)

• Markdown Page Break Syntax for PDF Export
  Support for --- or \page to control PDF pagination
  (#153)

• Find Box (Ctrl+F Search)
  Inline search within the editor
  (#152)

• Word Count for Selected Text
  Granular writing metrics
  (#151)

UI / UX Enhancements

• Unlock Native Right‑Click Context Menu
  Restore OS‑native context menus for better usability
  (#150)

• Editor Status Bar Metrics
  Live stats: words, characters, cursor position
  (#149)

• Document Outline Panel
  Heading‑based navigation sidebar
  (#148)

Markdown Engine & Plugin Pipeline

• Fix markdown‑it‑link‑attributes Wiring
  (#135)

• Fix markdown‑it‑emoji Wiring
  (#134)

• Fix markdown‑it‑container Wiring
  (#133)

• Markdown‑it Plugin Wiring Fix (Renderer Pipeline)
  (#132)

Build, Release & Automation

• Improve Versioning Discipline & Release Automation
  (#139)

• Improve Build Scripts & Build‑Type Workflow
  (#138)

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Screenshots

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Known Issues

SnapDock is stable on all supported platforms, but one upstream limitation is worth noting:

Electron on Linux (Wayland/X11 Variability)

Some Linux distributions may experience minor rendering or window‑manager issues due to upstream Electron/Chromium behaviour. These issues vary between distros and desktop environments and are outside SnapDock’s direct control.

We continue to update Electron regularly and are evaluating alternative runtimes to maximise long‑term stability on Linux.

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Related Projects

SnapDock is part of a growing ecosystem of focused, long‑term tools.

• SnapBoard — Local‑first planning and card system
  https://github.com/ZFordDev/SnapBoard

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Support

You can support SnapDock by:

• Leaving a ⭐ on GitHub
• Reporting bugs
• Suggesting features
• Improving documentation
• Contributing code

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Contributing

Contributions, bug reports, feature requests, and feedback are welcome.

See CONTRIBUTING.md for project‑specific guidelines.
For ecosystem‑wide expectations, see STANDARDS.md.

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Security

See SECURITY.md for vulnerability reporting guidelines.
If no security policy is present, please report issues responsibly via GitHub Issues.

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License

Released under the MIT License.
See LICENSE for details.

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About ZFordDev

This project is part of the ZFordDev ecosystem — a collection of lightweight, practical tools built with clarity, simplicity, and long‑term maintainability in mind.

For ecosystem‑wide standards, see STANDARDS.md.

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