mnemo - Quickstart

Start using mnemo, an elegant hybrid Markdown editor, by understanding its Python and Web-based architecture.

mnemo is a desktop application focused on productivity and typography. It combines the lightness of a web interface (built with Tailwind CSS) with the robustness of Python processing. Unlike heavy Electron-based editors, mnemo leverages the pywebview library.

Seamless Integration

Mnemo shares the native operating system's web engine (WebKit/GTK on Linux) while executing all the heavy lifting of Markdown conversion and direct PDF export within a lightweight Python process.

Requirements & Metadata

License: MIT
Environment: uv (Fast Python Package Manager)
PDF Engine: wkhtmltopdf via pdfkit

Stack Composition

Hybrid Architecture (IPC)

The application is divided into two main processes communicating via IPC (Inter-Process Communication). The graphical interface (HTML/JS) captures input, and the backend (Python) handles rendering.

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Tip: Click on the diagram blocks below to view the detailed technical explanation and the code responsible for the Python to JavaScript communication.

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Frontend (JS)

CodeMirror + KaTeX

pywebview.api

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Backend (Python)

Api Class + Markdown

Select a block above to inspect.

Features and Shortcuts

The script.js file implements global listeners to optimize workflow. The application is designed to be operated primarily via keyboard.

Action	Description	Keys
Open Document	Invokes the native system file dialog via GTK.	`Ctrl` + `O`
Save Changes	Writes current content to local disk.	`Ctrl` + `S`
Export to PDF	Processes HTML and generates PDF via wkhtmltopdf.	`Ctrl` + `P`
Visual Focus: Preview	Switches focus to the formatted preview panel.	`Ctrl` + `←`
Visual Focus: Editor	Switches focus to the raw source code panel.	`Ctrl` + `→`

Installation via NPM/UV

Ensure you have Python 3.10+ configured on your system. Use the uv manager for ultra-fast dependency synchronization.

1
Prepare Local Dependencies

Install necessary system packages (e.g., Ubuntu/Debian).
```
sudo apt install wkhtmltopdf
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
```
2
Clone Repository

Get the code and let uv create the isolated virtual environment based on `uv.lock`.
```
git clone https://github.com/your-username/mnemo.git
cd mnemo
uv sync
```
3
Cache Frontend Libraries

mnemo runs offline. Download CodeMirror, Tailwind, and KaTeX by running the dedicated script.
```
chmod +x scripts/download_front_libs.sh
./scripts/download_front_libs.sh
```

Structure and Files

The repository consists of build scripts, a lightweight web interface, and a backend bridging the OS to the webview engine.

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Select an item

Click on a file or folder in the tree to the left to understand its role in the application context.