ShowNotes
View and edit modes
Cards have two modes: view mode (rendered markdown) and edit mode (raw markdown source). In view mode, your content displays as styled text with headings, bold, lists, and links all rendered. In edit mode, you see the raw markdown source in a monospace editor.
Single-click anywhere on the card to enter edit mode. There is no separate "Edit" button — just click the content. The view-to-edit transition is a quick 140ms cross-fade in the same window. No popups, no sheets, no popovers.
To return to view mode, press Esc or ⌘Return to save your changes. Press ⌘. to cancel and discard any edits.
Editing cards
In edit mode, you see a markdown editor with a formatting toolbar at the top. The toolbar provides quick access to common formatting without memorizing markdown syntax:
| Button | Shortcut | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | ⌘B | Wraps selection in **bold** |
| Italic | ⌘I | Wraps selection in *italic* |
| Heading | — | Inserts a # heading prefix |
| Bullet list | — | Inserts a - list item prefix |
| Numbered list | — | Inserts a 1. list item prefix |
| Inline code | — | Wraps selection in `backticks` |
| Link | — | Inserts a [text](url) link |
| Blockquote | — | Inserts a > quote prefix |
Type your content in plain markdown. When you're done, press Esc or ⌘Return to save. Press ⌘. to cancel and discard changes.
Markdown formatting
ShowNotes supports standard markdown syntax. Here's what you can use:
- Headings —
# Heading 1,## Heading 2,### Heading 3 - Bold —
**bold text** - Italic —
*italic text* - Bullet lists —
- list item - Numbered lists —
1. list item - Inline code —
`code` - Links —
[link text](url) - Blockquotes —
> quoted text
AttributedString(markdown:) API from Foundation. No external markdown libraries are used, which keeps the app lightweight and consistent with macOS text rendering.
Creating and deleting cards
Press ⌘N to create a new card. It opens directly in edit mode so you can start typing immediately. The new card is inserted after the current card in the deck.
To delete a card, press ⌘D or ⌘⌫. A confirmation dialog appears before the card is removed — you won't lose content by accident.
Reordering cards
Move the current card up or down in the deck using keyboard shortcuts:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌥⌘↑ | Move current card up |
| ⌥⌘↓ | Move current card down |
The position indicator in the footer (e.g., CARD 01 / 10) updates to reflect the new order as you move cards around.
Undo and redo
ShowNotes has full undo and redo support across all card operations:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘Z | Undo the last action |
| ⌘⇧Z | Redo the last undone action |
Undo works for card creation, deletion, reordering, and text editing. Each action is tracked individually, so you can step back through your changes one at a time.
Overwrite mode
Press ⌘O to toggle between Insert (default) and Overwrite mode. In Insert mode, typing pushes existing text to the right. In Overwrite mode, typing replaces characters at the cursor position rather than inserting new ones.
When you toggle, the footer briefly flashes "Overwrite" or "Insert" to confirm which mode you're in. This is useful when you need to quickly replace specific text without selecting it first.