Phials documentation
Developer docs

The Markdown Editor

Phials includes an editor for Markdown files (.md, .markdown, and .mdc) and for Vial notes stored alongside your files. You edit in the preview area or in a dedicated preview tab; the same document stays in sync whether you use the sidebar or fullscreen.

This page covers writing and saving. For how Markdown renders when you are previewing (images, links, styling), see Markdown preview.

Open a Markdown file for editing

  • Select a Markdown file in the file list to load it in the preview sidebar.
  • Double-click (or your usual open action) to open a preview tab with more room.

Files larger than 1 MB open read-only with a message that they are too large to edit in Phials.

Editor mode (default)

Editor mode is a live block-style Markdown surface. Type headings, lists, and paragraphs, and see formatting apply as you work.

  • Undo and Redo on the toolbar apply to your editing session.
  • Relative images and links resolve using the folder that contains the file, so ![](photo.jpg) previews correctly without rewriting your source on save.
  • If Phials notices syntax it cannot map cleanly to blocks, a Parse notes banner may appear above the editor with details.

Inline HTML in the file is not rendered as live DOM in Editor mode. Switch to Raw to edit HTML literally.

Raw mode

Click Raw on the toolbar to edit the plain Markdown source in a syntax-highlighted code editor.

  • Undo and Redo use the raw editor’s own history, which is separate from Editor mode’s history.
  • Switch back to Editor when you want the block editing experience again.

For rendering behavior (what readers see), see Markdown preview.

Save your work

Phials uses explicit save. Changes are not written to disk until you save.

  1. Edit the file.
  2. Click Save on the preview toolbar (or ⌘S / Ctrl+S).
  3. An unsaved changes indicator appears while the buffer differs from the last saved version on disk.

Revert discards unsaved edits and reloads the last saved file from disk.

If save fails (permissions, disk full, and similar), Phials shows an error banner and keeps your unsaved text so you can retry or copy it elsewhere.

Fullscreen editing

Open the preview tab or use the fullscreen control for a focused writing layout. The same Editor / Raw modes, Save, Revert, and undo controls are available.

Press Escape to leave fullscreen. If you have unsaved changes, Phials asks whether to discard them before closing.

Vial notes

Per-file notes in a Vial use the same editing experience but live in the Vial’s note store, not in the file on disk. See Notes in a Vial for how notes relate to the selected file and the preview sidebar.

Tips

  • Prefer Editor for everyday writing; use Raw for precise syntax, bulk paste, or HTML-heavy files.
  • Sidebar and preview tab share one document for a given path, so switching views does not drop unsaved text.
  • Closing a tab or deselecting a file does not auto-save; save before you close if you need changes on disk.