Markdown at a glance

Every Varlig note is plain Markdown: a handful of simple symbols for headings, lists and emphasis. Type the symbols, or use the Format menu and its shortcuts, and Varlig styles the note as you write. This page is the whole picture on one screen, with links to the details.

New to Markdown? Your first note walks through the basics one step at a time.

One note, lots of Markdown

Here’s a single note using a bit of everything. The left side is exactly what’s saved; the right side is what you see in Varlig.

# Lisbon weekend
Flights are **booked** and the hotel is ==paid==. #travel/portugal

## Before we go
- [x] Book the hotel
- [ ] Download the offline map
- [ ] Read [[Lisbon bookings]]

> [!TIP] Tram 28
> Board at the first stop to get a seat.

| Day      | Plan              |
| -------- | ----------------- |
| Saturday | Castle and Alfama |
| Sunday   | Belém             |

```calc
hotel = €145 * 2
hotel / 2
```

How Varlig shows Markdown

Varlig tucks the symbols away so you read the note, not the syntax, and shows them again when you need them:

• Styles and links: the **, _, ~, == and bracket symbols stay hidden until the cursor is inside the styled text or a selection touches it.
• Headings: the # signs are always hidden. An icon in the margin shows the level while the cursor is in the heading.
• Lists: bullets are drawn as dots, todos as checkboxes, and numbers stay as they are.
• Quotes keep a faint >; callouts hide their [!TIP] marker until the cursor is in them.
• Code and calc blocks hide their backtick lines until the cursor is in the block.
• Tables, pictures and separators are drawn in place. Their Markdown shows while Find (⌘F) is open.
• Tags are drawn as small capsules.

To see a note’s complete Markdown, open the note’s … menu and choose Copy As › Markdown, then paste it anywhere.

Cheat sheet

Text

Structure

Lists

Links and tags

Blocks

Pictures and files

Word count and targets

View › Show Word Count puts a count at the bottom of the editor; select some text and it counts the selection instead. Markdown syntax isn’t counted.

Note › Set Writing Target… gives one note a target in Words or Characters, and the capsule counts towards it — 312 of 500 words · 188 to go, then Target reached. Setting a target shows the capsule for that note whether or not the count is on, and Remove Target takes it away.

Characters are counted as a reader sees them: every letter, digit, punctuation mark or emoji once, plus one space between words on a line. Markdown syntax, extra spaces and line breaks don’t count, so reformatting a note never changes the number. With a character target, a selection is counted in characters too.

View › Typewriter Scrolling keeps the line you’re typing vertically centred. It moves only while you type or delete, so selecting and scrolling still behave normally.

Notes in tabs

A note can open in its own window (File › New Note in New Window, ⌥⌘N) or as a tab in one (File › New Note in New Tab, ⌃⌘N). The tab bar’s + and macOS’s own New Tab do the same thing, and you can drag a note window onto another’s tab bar, or use Window › Merge All Windows, to collect notes you’re working on into one window.

Each tab is a full window inside: switching between them keeps each note’s cursor, selection and scroll position exactly where you left it. A protected note shows as Protected note in the tab bar while it’s locked, and locking doesn’t close its tab.

The library window itself doesn’t take tabs — it holds the sidebar and note list, and there is only ever one of it.

Keys while you write

• Return continues a list, a numbered list or a quote. On an empty item, it steps out.
• Tab and Shift-Tab indent and outdent list items and code.
• #, [[ and : open suggestions for tags, note titles and emoji. Use the arrow keys, then Return or Tab to choose.
• Escape in a calc block suggests function names.

Every shortcut is on the Keyboard shortcuts page.