Your first note

A Varlig note is plain Markdown: a handful of simple symbols for headings, lists and emphasis. Type them, or press a shortcut, and Varlig styles the note as you write and tucks the symbols out of sight until your cursor is on them. This page builds a small trip note, one idea at a time, with a calculation at the end.

Each example shows what you type on the left and the note Varlig shows on the right.

Give it a title

Press ⌘N for a new note. The first line becomes the note’s title in the note list, and new notes start with a Heading 1 line ready for it. Everything below is ordinary text.

# Weekend in Lisbon
Two nights in Alfama, flying out on Friday evening.

Varlig saves as you type, so there’s no Save button to remember.

Headings and emphasis

Break a longer note into sections with ## headings (⌘2), and mark the words that matter.

## Getting there
Flights are **booked**, but the _return_ time might change.
Check in online ==24 hours before==, and ~~print the tickets~~ use the app.

Lists and todos

Start a line with - for a bulleted list, 1. for a numbered one, or - [ ] for a todo. Press Return and the list carries on. Click a checkbox, or press ⌘., to tick it off.

## Pack
- [x] Passports
- [ ] Travel adapter
- [ ] Sun cream

## Saturday
1. Tram 28 up to the castle
2. Lunch in Alfama
3. Sunset at a miradouro

Any note with an unfinished todo also shows up in the sidebar’s Todo section.

Links and tags

Link to another note with its title in double brackets (⌘D), and add a tag with # anywhere in the text. A slash nests one tag inside another, so #travel/portugal sits under #travel in the sidebar.

Hotel details are in [[Lisbon bookings]]. #travel/portugal

Callouts and tables

A callout sets something apart, and a table lines up details side by side. Choose them from the Format menu, or type them.

> [!TIP] Before you leave
> Download the offline map of Lisbon.

| Day      | Plan                   |
| -------- | ---------------------- |
| Friday   | Fly out at 18:40       |
| Saturday | Castle and Alfama      |
| Sunday   | Belém, then fly home   |

Add the numbers

When numbers come up, add a calc block right where they belong: choose Format › Calculation Block, or press ⌘Y. Everything around it stays ordinary Markdown, and each line inside gets its answer.

## Budget
Splitting everything with Sam.

```calc
hotel = €145 * 2
flights = €89 * 2
hotel + flights
(hotel + flights) / 2
```

Change the hotel price and every answer below it updates straight away. Your first calculation shows what else a calc block can do.

Keep going

• Markdown at a glance puts everything you can write on one page, with links to pictures and files, tables, and code, diagrams and formulas.
• Tags, links and backlinks shows how notes find each other.
• Keyboard shortcuts lists every shortcut on one page.