Helwan Markdown Editor Documentation
Overview
The Helwan Markdown Editor is a user-friendly Markdown editor built with PyQt5.
It allows you to write, preview, and export Markdown documents in real-time. The editor supports multiple languages, live preview, code highlighting, math formulas, tables, checklists, footnotes, and notes.
Features
Tabs
- Supports multiple tabs.
- Tabs show the file name. Unsaved changes are marked with
*.
Editor & Preview
- Split view: Editor on the left, Preview on the right.
- Live preview updates as you type.
- Markdown features supported:
- Headings (#, ##, ###)
- Bold, Italic, Strikethrough
- Ordered and Unordered lists
- Task lists (checkboxes)
- Links and Images
- Inline code and Code blocks
- Blockquotes
- Horizontal lines
- Tables
- Notes (
> [!NOTE] ...)
- Math formulas (
$$ ... $$)
- Footnotes
Status Bar
- Displays word count and character count for the active tab.
Toolbar
- New, Open, Save, Save As
- Undo / Redo
- Formatting actions (headings, bold, italic, etc.)
- Insert table, math formula, note
- Find & Replace
- Text case conversions
- Export to HTML
- Theme switcher (Light / Dark)
- Language selector
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| New File | Ctrl+N |
| Open File | Ctrl+O |
| Save File | Ctrl+S |
| Save As | Ctrl+Shift+S |
| Undo | Ctrl+Z |
| Redo | Ctrl+Y |
| Bold | Ctrl+B |
| Italic | Ctrl+I |
| Insert Link | Ctrl+L |
| Insert Image | Ctrl+Shift+L |
| Inline Code | Ctrl+` |
| Code Block | Ctrl+Shift+` |
| Insert Table | Ctrl+T |
| Find/Replace | Ctrl+F |
Language Support
The editor supports multiple languages:
- English
- العربية
- 中文
- Español
Exporting HTML
- Click Export HTML in the toolbar.
- Select file location and name.
- The exported HTML preserves:
- Syntax highlighting
- Task lists
- Tables
- Notes
- Math formulas
Notes & Tips
Unsaved changes are marked with * in the tab title.
Task list checkboxes in Markdown ([ ] and [x]) are automatically converted to ☐ and ✅ in the preview.
Math formulas require MathJax, loaded automatically in the preview and HTML export.
Troubleshooting
- No content to export: Make sure the editor contains Markdown text before exporting.
- Preview not updating: Check that the tab is active and contains text.
- Language not updating: Ensure the selected language is supported (en, ar, zh, es).
Quick Start
- Open the editor.
- Start typing Markdown in the left pane.
- Preview updates automatically on the right.
- Use the toolbar or keyboard shortcuts to format text.
- Save your work with
Ctrl+S.
- Export to HTML via the toolbar.
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