MiaoYan

A native Mac app for local Markdown notes

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Features

• Local-first: Notes are Markdown files in a folder you choose, with no data collection, and iCloud Drive or Nutstore can sync them across devices
• Focused: Folders, notes, and editor in three columns, with dark mode and no plugin system to maintain
• Native: Built with Swift 6, lighter than web wrappers, with 60fps scroll sync in split preview
• Capable: Wikilinks, LaTeX, Mermaid, version history, auto-formatting, and PPT presentations built in

Installation

1. Mac App Store (paid, automatic updates, includes the iPhone and iPad app):

   

2. Homebrew:

   brew install --cask miaoyan
   

3. GitHub Releases: download the latest DMG from GitHub Releases (macOS 12.0+)

Homebrew and GitHub Releases install this open-source app, which now receives fixes only. The App Store edition is developed separately and is where new features land.

Sync with Nutstore or Other Cloud Drives

MiaoYan does not sign in to WebDAV or cloud-drive accounts and only reads and writes the Markdown folder you choose. After installing, create a MiaoYan folder in iCloud Drive, the local folder synced by the Nutstore desktop client, or any other location, then open Preferences (⌘,) and set it as the storage path. iCloud Drive, Nutstore, Dropbox, or another cloud-drive client handles cross-device sync.

• iPhone: Pick the same cloud-drive folder in the system Files app, and if a provider does not offer a writable folder there, use iCloud Drive or make the folder available offline in that provider app first
• Folder check: MiaoYan verifies read and write access before switching folders and keeps the current storage path if the folder is unavailable, without reporting the problem as a MiaoYan sync failure

CLI

# Install
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tw93/MiaoYan/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

# Usage
miao open <title|path>    # Open note or folder
miao new <title> [text]   # Create new note
miao search <query>       # Search notes in terminal
miao list [folder]        # List top-level folders, or markdown in folder
miao cat <title|path>     # Print note content
miao update               # Update CLI

Split Editor & Preview Mode

Edit and preview sit side by side. Press ⌘\ to toggle split mode, or open Preferences, go to General, and set Editor Mode to Split Mode. Why not WYSIWYG like Typora? Pure Markdown editing is the whole point. Native WYSIWYG in Swift is heavy and fragile; split mode keeps writing focused while giving you instant, synchronized visual feedback.

Documentation

• Introduction to MiaoYan - Usage guide and keyboard shortcuts
• Markdown Syntax Guide - Syntax reference with math and diagrams
• PPT Presentation Mode - Guide to creating presentations with --- slide separators
• MiaoYan Agent Skill - Teach your agent MiaoYan syntax, attachments, PPT patterns, and CLI workflows

Install the official skill with npx skills add tw93/MiaoYan/skills/miaoyan -g.

Support

• The most direct way to support me is getting Mole for Mac, my paid Mac cleanup app
• If MiaoYan helped you, give it a star, share it, or open an issue or PR
• I have two cats, TangYuan and Coke. If MiaoYan brings you joy, you can feed them canned food 🥩

These lovely people already did 🐱

Acknowledgments

• glushchenko/fsnotes - Initial project structure reference
• stackotter/swift-cmark-gfm - Swift Markdown parser
• simonbs/Prettier - Markdown formatting utilities
• raspu/Highlightr - Syntax highlighting
• hakimel/reveal.js - PPT presentation framework

License

MIT License