Your first document

1. Create a place for your note

Open editmd. Choose File → New File… and use a name such as first-note.md. Choose a folder you can find again. A folder called Notes is a simple place to start.

If you already have a Markdown file, choose File → Open File… instead. Opening a file does not import it into a separate document library.

2. Write a heading and a paragraph

Type this into the editor. Leave a blank line between the heading and the paragraph:

# My first note

A little space to think clearly.

## Next steps

- Write the first idea
- Add one useful detail

The # and ## create two levels of heading. The hyphens create a list. You can type the marks yourself or use the formatting bar.

3. See the result

Choose Split to show your Markdown and its preview together. Change “My first note” to a title of your own. The preview updates as you write.

Choose Editor when you want to focus on the source. Choose Preview when you want to read the formatted document. Changing the view does not convert or replace your file.

4. Make a small edit

Select a few words and use Bold in the formatting bar, or press ⌘B. The words are wrapped in ** in the source and appear bold in the preview. Use Undo if you want to reverse the change.

5. Save and reopen

Choose File → Save or press ⌘S. Find the file in the folder you selected. Reopen it through File → Open File… and check that your changes are there.

You have finished your first document: a readable .md file that you can keep, share or open in another editor. Make saving a habit; recovery helps with interruptions but does not replace a saved file or a backup.