explaingit

do-md/domd

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

284TypeScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

A from-scratch Markdown editor with live formatted editing, a tiny 20KB core, and a CLI that streams AI text straight into the document.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((DOMD))
    What it does
      Live formatted editing
      Custom rendering engine
      Immutable state model
    Tech stack
      TypeScript
      Web app
      macOS app
    Use cases
      Local note taking
      AI text streaming
      CLI automation
    Licensing
      MIT app code
      Noncommercial engine

Code map

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Write and edit Markdown in a live formatted view without switching between raw text and preview.

USE CASE 2

Stream AI-generated text directly into an open DOMD document in real time using the domd-cli tool.

USE CASE 3

Use the web app with no install or the native macOS app for fast, local-only note taking.

What is it built with?

TypeScript

How does it compare?

do-md/domdeduwass/tmux-paletteeli-labz/third-eye
Stars284284285
LanguageTypeScriptTypeScriptTypeScript
Setup difficultyeasyeasy
Complexity2/52/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

The core rendering engine is only available as a compiled artifact, commercial use needs permission from the authors.

The application code is MIT licensed and free to use, modify, and self-host, the core rendering engine is a compiled artifact under a noncommercial license requiring permission for commercial use.

In plain English

DOMD is a Markdown editor that shows you formatted text as you type, rather than making you switch between a raw-text view and a preview. It is built around a custom rendering engine written from scratch, rather than reusing any of the popular existing rich-text editor frameworks like ProseMirror or Slate. The entire editing core weighs about 20 kilobytes compressed, which is very small for what it does. The editor is available in two forms: a web app you can open in a browser without installing anything, and a native macOS application. The Mac version is designed to feel as fast and minimal as a built-in system app. There is no project sidebar, no sync service, no account required. Files stay on your device. Large documents, up to a megabyte, open at roughly the same speed as small ones. One notable feature is a command-line tool called domd-cli that ships with the macOS build. It lets automated tools, scripts, or AI assistants send text directly into an open DOMD window. Tokens from a streaming AI response can be piped in and appear in the document in real time as formatted Markdown. The project's README includes a demo of this using an Alfred workflow that calls an AI API and streams the reply straight into the editor. The internals use a single, immutable data structure to represent the document state at all times. Typing, undo, redo, and AI-streamed content all go through the same mechanism, which keeps behavior predictable and makes only the changed parts of the document re-render. The licensing is split. The application code and helper libraries in the repository are MIT licensed, meaning you can read, change, and self-host them freely. The core rendering engine is distributed only as a compiled artifact under a noncommercial license, commercial use requires written permission from the authors.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to use domd-cli to stream AI-generated text into an open DOMD document.
Prompt 2
Explain how DOMD's immutable document state model handles typing, undo, and redo.
Prompt 3
Help me set up an Alfred workflow that streams an AI API response into DOMD like the project's demo.

Frequently asked questions

What is domd?

A from-scratch Markdown editor with live formatted editing, a tiny 20KB core, and a CLI that streams AI text straight into the document.

What language is domd written in?

Mainly TypeScript. The stack also includes TypeScript.

What license does domd use?

The application code is MIT licensed and free to use, modify, and self-host, the core rendering engine is a compiled artifact under a noncommercial license requiring permission for commercial use.

How hard is domd to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is domd for?

Mainly developer.

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