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Synapse

Synapse

Michael Weiss

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2 installs
| (0) | Free
A Markdown Editor Extension
Installation
Launch VS Code Quick Open (Ctrl+P), paste the following command, and press enter.
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Synapse

Advanced Markdown Preview with Knowledge Graph Visualization

A powerful VS Code extension for enhanced Markdown rendering with graph visualization, backlinks, tags, and rich content support.

VS Code License Status TypeScript


Overview

Synapse transforms your Markdown workflow by providing real-time preview, knowledge graph visualization, and advanced content rendering. Connect your notes, visualize relationships, and organize knowledge with tags and backlinks—all within VS Code.


✨ Features

Enhanced Markdown Preview

  • Live Preview Panel: Real-time rendering of Markdown documents with support for extended syntax
  • Tables: Full support for pipe tables with alignment control
  • Code Highlighting: Syntax highlighting for multiple programming languages
  • Mathematical Expressions: LaTeX rendering for inline and block equations

🔗 Knowledge Graph

  • Backlink Support: Navigate between documents using [[document-name]] syntax
  • Graph Visualization: Visual representation of document relationships and connections
  • Tag System: Organize content with #tags for easy categorization
  • Link Index: Automatic indexing of all links and references

Synapse Graph Visualization

Interactive graph showing document connections and relationships

Diagram Support

  • Mermaid Diagrams: Full support for Mermaid syntax including:
    • Sequence diagrams
    • Flowcharts
    • Class diagrams
    • State diagrams
    • And more

Rich Content Rendering

Callout Blocks

Support for multiple callout types with distinctive styling:

  • > [!note] - General notes and information
  • > [!abstract] - Summaries and abstracts
  • > [!info] - Information blocks
  • > [!todo] - Action items and tasks
  • > [!tip] - Tips and hints
  • > [!success] - Successful outcomes
  • > [!question] - Questions and FAQs
  • > [!warning] - Warnings and cautions
  • > [!failure] - Failure cases
  • > [!danger] - Dangerous content
  • > [!bug] - Bug reports
  • > [!example] - Examples
  • > [!quote] - Quotes and citations

Checklists

Full support for task lists:

- [x] Completed task
- [ ] Pending task

Block Quotes

Enhanced block quote rendering with support for nested content and formatting.

Usage Examples

Tables and Data

Synapse renders tables beautifully with full alignment control:

Header 1 Header 2 Header 3
Left align Center align Right align
Row 1, Col 1 Row 1, Col 2 Row 1, Col 3
Row 2, Col 1 Row 2, Col 2 Row 2, Col 3
Fruit Color Stock
Apple Red 120
Banana Yellow 250
Grape Purple 300

Synapse Table Preview

Real-time table rendering with syntax highlighting

🔗 Backlinks and Tags

Create knowledge connections with intuitive syntax:

#test #test2 #anothertest

[[document-name]]
[[nested/document]]

Tags are automatically indexed and displayed in the sidebar for quick navigation.

Mermaid Diagrams

Full support for Mermaid diagram syntax:

sequenceDiagram
    Alice->>+John: Hello John, how are you?
    Alice->>+John: John, can you hear me?
    John-->>-Alice: Hi Alice, I can hear you!
    John-->>-Alice: I feel so great!
    Alice-->>+John: Thanks!

Synapse Mermaid Support

Interactive sequence diagram rendered in preview

Mathematical Expressions

Inline math with LaTeX:

$E = mc^2$

Block equations:

$$
\begin{align}
\nabla \cdot \vec{\mathbf{E}} & = 4 \pi \rho \\
\pi & = 3.14
\end{align}
$$

Matrix notation:

$$
\begin{vmatrix}
a & b \\
c & d
\end{vmatrix} = ad - bc
$$

Synapse Math Preview

LaTeX math rendering with proper formatting

Callout Blocks

Rich callout support for organized information:

Synapse Callouts

Styled callout blocks with icons and colors

> [!note]
> General notes and information

> [!tip]
> Helpful tips and hints

> [!warning]
> Important warnings

> [!success]
> Success messages

> [!question]
> Questions and FAQs

> [!danger]
> Dangerous content

> [!example]
> Examples and demonstrations

Task Lists

Organized task management:

- [x] Completed task
- [x] Another completed task
- [ ] Pending task
- [ ] Future task

💻 Code Highlighting

import os
if a in b:
    print("Hello, World!")

Supported languages: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, C++, Rust, Go, and many more.

Embedding Content

Embed external files and images:

![[file.md]]
![[image.png]]
![[document.pdf]]

Synapse Content Embedding

External content embedded and rendered seamlessly

Views & Interface

Preview View

Real-time live preview of your Markdown content with all advanced formatting rendered instantly:

Synapse Preview View Live preview panel showing rendered content side-by-side with source

  • Instant rendering as you type
  • Full support for all extended syntax
  • Syntax highlighting for code blocks
  • Mathematical expressions and diagrams
  • Interactive links and backlinks

Graph View

Visual knowledge base with interactive graph visualization:

Synapse Graph View

Interactive network graph showing document relationships and tags

  • Connected Documents: See how your files relate to each other
  • Backlink Relationships: Visual representation of bidirectional links
  • Tag Correlations: Document grouping by tags
  • Network Topology: Interactive exploration of your knowledge base
  • Zoom & Pan: Navigate large graphs intuitively

Getting Started

Installation

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
  3. Search for "Synapse"
  4. Click Install

Quick Start

  1. Create or open a Markdown file
  2. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
  3. Search for "Synapse Preview" to open the preview panel
  4. Search for "Synapse Graph" to visualize your knowledge base

Example Workflow

# My Knowledge Base

## Topic 1
#project #important

Content with [[Topic 2]] reference...

## Topic 2
#project

[[Topic 1]] | [[Topic 3]]

\`\`\`
code example
\`\`\`

System Requirements

Requirement Version
VS Code 1.60.0 or higher
Node.js 12.x or higher
OS Windows, macOS, Linux

⌨Keyboard Shortcuts

Action Shortcut
Open Command Palette Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P
Open Preview Search "Synapse Preview"
Open Graph View Search "Synapse Graph"
Toggle Preview Ctrl+Shift+V / Cmd+Shift+V

Advanced Features

Extended Markdown Support

  • Pipe Tables with alignment
  • Task Lists with checkboxes
  • Callout Blocks with multiple types
  • LaTeX mathematical expressions
  • Mermaid diagrams (sequence, flowchart, class, state, etc.)
  • Code Highlighting for 100+ languages
  • Block Quotes with nesting
  • Inline Formatting (bold, italic, strikethrough, etc.)

Knowledge Management

  • Automatic backlink detection
  • Bidirectional link support
  • Tag-based organization
  • Link preview on hover
  • Broken link detection

Performance Optimizations

  • Efficient graph rendering
  • Real-time preview updates
  • Optimized for large document networks
  • Smooth scrolling and panning
  • Memory-efficient tag indexing

Configuration

Synapse works out of the box with sensible defaults. For advanced configuration:

  1. Open Settings (Ctrl+Comma / Cmd+Comma)
  2. Search for "Synapse"
  3. Configure options as needed

🐛 Troubleshooting

Graph not loading?

  • Ensure markdown files contain valid backlink syntax: [[document]]
  • Check file paths are accessible

Preview not updating?

  • Save the markdown file to trigger refresh
  • Reload window: Ctrl+Shift+P → "Reload Window"

Performance issues?

  • Close unnecessary preview tabs
  • Reduce graph node count by filtering tags
  • Check VS Code memory usage in Task Manager

For additional issues, please open an issue on GitHub.


Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

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

License

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


Support & Feedback

Found a bug? Have a feature request? Please open an issue on GitHub.

For questions or discussions, reach out via GitHub Discussions.


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