MD Reader - Markdown Previewer for VS Code

Overview

MD Reader is a lightweight and user-friendly Visual Studio Code extension designed to provide a seamless Markdown preview experience. It renders Markdown files in a dedicated webview panel with customizable styling, making it easier for developers, writers, and documentation enthusiasts to preview their content without leaving their editor.

Developed by Anand Shah, this extension leverages the power of the marked library for accurate Markdown parsing and offers a clean, professional interface.

Features

• Real-time Preview: Instantly preview the active Markdown file in a side panel.
• Custom Styling: Enhanced CSS for better readability, including syntax highlighting for code blocks.
• Easy Activation: Trigger the preview via command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) or assign a custom keybinding.
• Lightweight: Minimal dependencies and fast loading times.
• Cross-compatible: Works with VS Code's latest versions (1.80.0+).

Installation

Prerequisites

• Visual Studio Code (version 1.80.0 or higher)
• Node.js and npm (for development)

From VS Code Marketplace (Upcoming)

1. Open VS Code.
2. Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).
3. Search for "MD Reader" by Anand Shah.
4. Click Install.

Manual Installation (Development)

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/AnandShah10/MDReader.git
   

2. Open the cloned folder in VS Code.
3. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

4. Compile the extension:

   npm run compile
   

5. Press F5 to run the extension in a development instance of VS Code.

Packaging for Distribution

To create a VSIX package for manual installation or publishing:

npm install -g @vscode/vsce
vsce package

Usage

1. Open a Markdown file (.md) in VS Code.
2. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P).
3. Type and select MD Reader: Preview Active File.
4. A preview panel will open on the side, rendering your Markdown content.

You can also assign a keyboard shortcut to the command in VS Code's Keyboard Shortcuts settings.

Screenshots

Preview Button

Preview Panel

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request or open an Issue on the GitHub repository.

1. Fork the repo.
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature).
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature').
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature).
5. Open a Pull Request.

Support & Issues

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions, please report them on the Issues page.

Publisher Information

• Name: Anand Shah
• GitHub: @AnandShah10
• Email: (Optional - add if desired)

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Built with ❤️ for the VS Code community by Anand Shah.