TL;DR
Ferrite is a lightweight editor written in Rust and built on egui that edits Markdown, JSON, YAML and TOML with a live WYSIWYG preview. The project (v0.2.1) adds expanded native Mermaid diagram support and is primarily developed and tested on Windows.
What happened
A new release of Ferrite, a native desktop editor implemented in Rust using the egui framework, is available with improvements to its built-in Mermaid diagram rendering. Ferrite aims to offer a responsive editing experience for multiple plain-text formats (Markdown, JSON, YAML, TOML) and provides a WYSIWYG rendered view, a raw text editor, and a split view with synchronized scrolling. The v0.2.1 update extends Mermaid support to include additional sequence control-flow constructs (loop, alt, opt, par), activation boxes, notes, flowchart subgraphs with branching layouts, and composite/nested states. The app bundles workspace features such as folder trees, quick file switching, search-in-files and basic Git status indicators. Pre-built binaries are provided for Windows, Linux and macOS, and the project can be built from source with Rust 1.70+. The repository is released under the MIT License.
Why it matters
- Native Mermaid rendering removes the need for external tooling or browser-based previews for many common diagram types.
- Multi-format support and WYSIWYG editing streamline workflows for writers and developers working across Markdown and data files.
- Rust + egui implementation targets a lightweight, responsive native app rather than an Electron-style bundle.
- Workspace and Git integration make the editor more suitable for project-level editing beyond single-file note-taking.
Key facts
- Formats supported: Markdown, JSON, YAML and TOML with both raw and rendered views.
- Mermaid diagrams: native rendering of 11 diagram types including Flowchart, Sequence, Pie, State, Mindmap, Class, ER, Git Graph, Gantt, Timeline and User Journey.
- v0.2.1 Mermaid enhancements: sequence control-flow blocks (loop, alt, opt, par), activation boxes, notes, flowchart subgraphs with branching layout, and composite/nested states.
- Editor features include WYSIWYG live preview, click-to-edit formatting, syntax highlighting, minimap, bracket matching, code folding (text hiding deferred to v0.3.0) and configurable auto-save.
- Supports full-file syntax highlighting for 40+ languages via syntect.
- Workspace features: folder tree, quick switcher (Ctrl+P), search-in-files (Ctrl+Shift+F), session persistence and Git visual status indicators.
- Pre-built binaries available for Windows, Linux (.deb/.tar.gz) and macOS from the project's GitHub Releases.
- Build-from-source requirements: Rust 1.70+ and platform-specific dependencies (Visual Studio Build Tools on Windows, GTK/XCB packages on Linux, Xcode command line tools on macOS).
- Settings are stored per platform (e.g., %APPDATA% on Windows, ~/.config on Linux, ~/Library on macOS).
- Project license: MIT.
What to watch next
- Cross-platform stability and testing coverage — the project is primarily developed and tested on Windows; Linux and macOS have not been extensively validated.
- Upcoming v0.3.0 behavior around code folding and text hiding (text hiding deferred to v0.3.0).
- Roadmap items announced for v0.2.2 focusing on performance and stability (see ROADMAP.md).
Quick glossary
- Mermaid: A plain-text diagram syntax that can be converted into flowcharts, sequence diagrams and other visualizations.
- WYSIWYG: What You See Is What You Get — an editing mode where formatted output is shown as it will appear.
- Rust: A compiled systems programming language that emphasizes performance and memory safety.
- egui: An immediate-mode GUI library for Rust used to build native-looking graphical interfaces.
Reader FAQ
Is Ferrite cross-platform?
Ferrite has pre-built binaries for Windows, Linux and macOS, but it has been primarily developed and tested on Windows; Linux and macOS support is not extensively tested.
Does Ferrite render Mermaid diagrams without external tools?
Yes. The editor includes native rendering for 11 Mermaid diagram types and received expanded Mermaid support in v0.2.1.
How can I install Ferrite?
Pre-built binaries are available on the project's GitHub Releases. The repository also includes build instructions for compiling from source with Rust 1.70+.
What license covers Ferrite?
The project is distributed under the MIT License.
Does Ferrite include Git features?
The editor shows visual Git status indicators for modified, added, untracked and ignored files; additional Git functionality is not confirmed in the source.
Ferrite A fast, lightweight text editor for Markdown, JSON, YAML, and TOML files. Built with Rust and egui for a native, responsive experience. ⚠️ Platform Note: Ferrite has been primarily…
Sources
- Show HN: Ferrite – Markdown editor in Rust with native Mermaid diagram rendering
- Ferrite – Markdown editor in Rust with native Mermaid …
- Mermaid | Diagramming and charting tool
- How to install Mermaid to render flowcharts in markdown?
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