Editing Modes

Tydora offers two editing modes, matching the two needs of "writing comfortably" and "seeing precisely." You can switch at any point while writing, with no effect on either.

Press Ctrl+/ to toggle between the two modes. Opening a file always starts in live preview (IR) mode.

The Two Modes

Live Preview (IR / WYSIWYG)

In live preview, the Markdown you type immediately becomes the rendered result — what you see is what you get. It is powered by the TipTap 3.x engine.

Characteristics:

  • Headings, bold, lists, and so on are shown with their typeset styling
  • Images can be resized by dragging
  • Native support for callout blocks, Mermaid diagrams, highlighted code blocks, math formulas, and other rich elements
  • Markdown markers near the cursor are revealed as needed and hidden again once you move away
  • Tables show a floating toolbar supporting row/column insertion and deletion, alignment, and cell merge/split
  • Frontmatter appears as an inline-editable YAML block
  • Best for everyday writing, note-taking, and quick edits
Live preview is the recommended mode for most situations. It feels closest to Typora / Obsidian's "live preview."

Source Mode (SV)

Source mode shows plain Markdown text, with professional syntax highlighting and editing from CodeMirror 6.

Characteristics:

  • Keeps every Markdown marker intact for precise control
  • CodeMirror 6 syntax highlighting
  • Code folding and bracket matching
  • Best for fine-grained formatting, bulk rewrites, and editing code blocks

How to Switch

Method Action
Shortcut Ctrl+/ toggles IR ↔ SV
Status bar Click the mode indicator at the bottom status bar (it shows the current mode)
Command Palette Ctrl+P → "Switch to live preview mode / Switch to source mode"
Switching modes does not change the file contents — only how they are presented and edited. What gets saved is always standard Markdown text.
Tydora always opens files in live preview mode; there is currently no "default editing mode" setting in the UI. To start in source mode, open the file and press Ctrl+/.

Mode Comparison

Feature IR / WYSIWYG SV (Source)
Formatting display Rendered immediately Syntax markers visible
Syntax visibility Low (shown locally near the cursor) High
Editing feel What you see is what you get Full control over plain text
Tables Visual editing via floating toolbar Hand-edit pipe tables
Frontmatter Inline editable block Plain YAML text
Images Drag to resize Shows markers and paths
Best for Everyday writing, reading Fine-tuning, code editing

Relationship to Vim Mode

Vim mode is not a third editing mode — it is a keybinding layer on top of the other two. Once enabled, both source mode and live preview support the full normal / insert / visual triad. See 02-Editor/11-Vim-Mode.

Features That Pair Well