If you’d read the thread mentioned in the post just above @blatch’s request, you’d notice that Greg explains how to get and install MultiMarkdown Quick Look plugins, and how to use them in DTPO. IOW, what @blatch is looking for already exists.
That works as a kind of patch, but it’s hardly native support. I’d like to create .md files instead of text files when I clip something, or click “make plain text.” Perhaps I can modify some scripts and change a file extension; any help is useful. Similarly, it’d be nice if .md files were rendered in-editor, similar to MultiMarkDown the editor, or Byword, etc.
I had seconded the call for native support for MMD, but then realized I could use this fantastic (and free!!! Donation-ware) app called Mou. http://mouapp.com/
What I do is create a txt file in DT, then open in Mou to edit if I want to use it’s fantastic live preview feature plus other goodies. The first time you try to do this, DT may not give you the option to ‘open with’ Mou. What I did was rename to a .md file, then it gave me the option (alternately, you could show in Finder and go from there). Once that was done, I rechanged the filename to a .txt, and the option to open with Mou from DT is now present.
A relatively painless workaround for a great workflow (the only thing missing from Mou is autosave, but I’ve put in a request…)
I’d like to add a very loud ME TOO for a native support of markdown!
I tried the suggestion above but did not get the QuickLook plugin to work - neither in Finder nor in DTP.
But a QuickLook view is not the same thing as native support with syntax coloring.
I do all my note taking and drafting in DTP. And I do it in plain text which has some drawback (no links, no Highlight, no lists, not nice looking text). Having to do that using Mou or an other external application defeats the purpose having everything in DTP and just start typing when you found the right note.
RTF notes is not an option for me either, because rtf is hard to script, less compatible and the OS X rtf engine is driving me mad (I have to do more mousing and reformatting then typing to get what I want).
Native markdown support with syntax coloring would solve all my issues easily. It shouldn’t be too hard to implement. DTP is already doing some rendering of text files for the wiki links. I suppose it just needs a few more grep patterns to make it work.
Has DTP stated anywhere that Markdown is on their agenda? I’ve been reading a number of posts where people have been requesting this going back over a year.
I love DTP. I use it extensively, however, the Desktop is no longer the main data interface for many people. I do 50% of my work on an iPad. What I need is an ability to edit text on all devices. In the last number of years Markdown has clearly become the tool of choice for many of us who edit documents on a number of devices. The proliferation of Markdown editors available on the App store seems to bear this out.
Personally, I believe Markdown is not some nice deluxe add-on, but actually essential. I have consistently tried to find something that will allow an effective workflow. Apple’s irksome decision not to include a file manager that all apps can use to access documents, makes life hard enough. It causes documents to be be mainly only editable by one app. Dropbox has helped somewhat, but I had hoped that DTP would think about it’s ‘to go’ app a little more. It’s great to take your database with you (although syncing of large databases is still problematic), but unless you can edit and add to them it really remains a viewer. Needing to create a copy of a document just to edit it means you end up with endless copies you’ve got to keep tabs on.
Markdown really solves this problem. Most people needing to edit text can get the majority of what they need done with Markdown. It provides just enough styling for the majority of users.
Wouldn’t it be great to be able to create Markdown documents in DTP iOS or Mac where the Markdown is rendered and all the DTP search and organisation power is available?
Does DTP have any plans to implement this or should I be looking elsewhere. I am generally talking about notes and writing here. I have looked at Voodoopad which does a really great job of this, but getting information in on a large scale is a real pain and I mean a real pain and I would rather not have to go down this route. However, I need to know that this isn’t some possible maybe could be functionality we might possibly see in the next ten years.