Prose – Clean Markdown Reader & Editor

Prose is a distraction-free markdown workspace built with Electron for Windows (x64 and ARM64). Browse entire folders, keep multiple drafts open in tabs, and move between editing and reading modes without context switches.

Highlights

• Elegant preview pane with responsive typography and seven curated themes
• Rich editing with toolbar shortcuts, auto-save, and familiar keyboard commands
• Native file-tree navigation powered by an Electron IPC bridge (no browser APIs)
• Offline-ready: Marked, Font Awesome, and fonts are bundled locally

Requirements

• Windows 10/11
• Node.js 18+ (includes npm) for development or building installers

Quick Start

npm install
npm start             # launches via scripts/run-electron.js

npm run dev           # same as start, but opens DevTools/logging
npm run smoke         # verifies required assets/metadata

Building Installers

npm run build:x64     # Windows x64 installer + portable build
npm run build:arm64   # Native ARM64 installer + portable build

Artifacts appear in dist/ with names such as Prose-1.0.0-arm64.exe (NSIS) and .portable.exe. Install the version that matches your hardware or ship the portable binary for no-install deployments.

Project Structure

.
├─ index.html                 # Shell UI
├─ script.js                  # Renderer logic / IPC client
├─ styles.css                 # Themes and layout
├─ main.js                    # Electron main process + IPC handlers
├─ preload.js                 # Secure bridge exposing window.electronAPI
├─ vendor/                    # Bundled Marked + Font Awesome assets
├─ assets/icon.(png|ico)      # Desktop + installer icons
└─ scripts/
   ├─ run-electron.js         # Launcher that strips ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE
   └─ smoke-test.js           # Asset/metadata verification script

Key Shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
New document	Ctrl+N
Open folder	Ctrl+O
Save	Ctrl+S
Save As	Ctrl+Shift+S
Close tab	Ctrl+W
Toggle edit	Ctrl+E

Troubleshooting

Issue	Fix
npm not recognized	Install Node.js from https://nodejs.org, restart the terminal, then rerun npm install.
Electron security warning	Prose ships with a strict CSP; ensure you launched via npm start/the installer rather than double-clicking index.html.
Installer build fails	Delete node_modules, run npm install, then retry npm run build:x64.
Folder access unavailable	Folder browsing is only supported in the packaged desktop app. Use npm start or the installer instead of a browser.

License

MIT