MDViewer - Markdown File Viewer

A small utility born out of personal need: many Markdown editors have live previews, but few standalone viewers make opening and printing .md files straightforward. Viewer is a lightweight WPF application that renders GitHub-Flavored Markdown in real time using the official GitHub API—built to solve that annoyance, and happy if it helps someone else.

Features

• GitHub-Flavored Markdown Rendering: Renders Markdown files using GitHub's official API for authentic formatting.
• Modern Material Design UI: Clean, intuitive interface with Material Design elements.
• Drag & Drop Support: Simply drag Markdown files onto the application to view them.
• Command Line Integration: Open files directly from command line or file associations.
• Print Functionality: Print rendered Markdown documents directly from the viewer.
• Real-time Loading Indicators: Visual feedback during file processing.
• Error Handling: Graceful fallback to plain text when GitHub API is unavailable.
• Multi-language Support: Localized interface (Italian and English included).

Technical Stack

• .NET Framework 4.8: Robust, mature framework for Windows applications.
• WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation): Rich UI framework with XAML markup.
• WebView2: Modern web engine for rendering HTML content.
• GitHub Markdown API: Official GitHub API for authentic Markdown rendering.

System Requirements

• Windows 10 or later
• .NET Framework 4.8
• Internet connection (for GitHub API rendering)
• WebView2 Runtime (usually pre-installed on Windows 11)

Usage

1. Open Files: Click the folder icon or use the File menu to browse for Markdown files.
2. Drag & Drop: Drag .md files directly onto the application window.
3. Command Line: Associate .md files with the application or pass file path as argument.
4. Print: Use the print button to send rendered content to printer.
5. Reload: Refresh content if the source file has been modified.

GitHub API Usage Notice

This application uses GitHub's public Markdown API for rendering. Please be aware of the following:

Rate Limiting

• GitHub API has rate limits (typically 60 requests per hour for unauthenticated requests).
• Heavy usage may temporarily restrict access.
• The application will fallback to plain text display when limits are reached.

Privacy Considerations

• Markdown content is sent to GitHub's servers for processing.
• Do not use this application with sensitive, confidential, or proprietary content.
• GitHub's privacy policy and terms of service apply to API usage.

Network Requirements

• Internet connection required for full Markdown rendering.
• Application works offline but shows plain text without formatting.
• Firewall/proxy configurations may affect GitHub API access.

Alternatives for Sensitive Content

For sensitive documents, consider:

• Using offline Markdown processors.
• Setting up local Markdown rendering services.
• Using the plain text fallback mode.