MDViewer Documentation

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Download: Latest MDViewer Setup.msi
2. Run: Double-click the downloaded MSI file
3. Install: Click "Next" through the installation wizard
4. Complete: Launch from Start Menu or desktop shortcut

What gets installed:

• ✅ MDViewer application in Program Files
• ✅ Start Menu shortcuts and desktop icon
• ✅ File associations for .md and .markdown files
• ✅ Context menu "Open with MDViewer" option
• ✅ Uninstaller in Add/Remove Programs

Automated Deployment

For system administrators deploying across multiple machines:

# Download and run the silent installer from latest release
# Visit https://github.com/MDViewer-App/mdviewer.app/releases/latest
# Download the Install-MDViewer.bat file and run it

# Or install MSI directly with silent parameters
msiexec /i MDViewer-Setup.msi /quiet /norestart

Group Policy deployment: The MSI supports standard Windows deployment via Group Policy Software Installation.

🧭 Smart Navigation System

• Repository Detection: Automatically finds your documentation root
• Breadcrumb Navigation: Clear path showing where you are
• Related Files: Shows other markdown files in the same directory
• Subdirectory Links: Easy access to nested documentation
• Intelligent Linking: Automatically resolves relative links between files

✏️ Built-in Text Editor

• Full Menu Support: New, Open, Save, Save As operations
• Find & Replace: Powerful search with regex support
• Word Wrap: Toggle for optimal viewing
• Live Preview: See changes instantly in the viewer
• External Editor Integration: Configure your preferred editor (VS Code, etc.)

📄 Professional Export

• PDF Export: High-quality PDF generation with proper formatting
• Word Export: Microsoft Word (.docx) documents
• Print Support: Direct printing from the viewer
• Progress Tracking: Real-time status during export operations

🏢 Enterprise Features

• Documentation Hub: Team-centric organization and management
• Category Management: Organize documents by department or project
• Priority System: Mark high-priority documentation
• Search & Filter: Find documents quickly across large repositories
• Dashboard Generation: Create overview pages for teams

File Operations

• New: Ctrl+N - Create new markdown document
• Open: Ctrl+O - Open existing file
• Save: Ctrl+S - Save current document
• Save As: Ctrl+Shift+S - Save with new name/location

Editing Tools

• Find: Ctrl+F - Search within document
• Replace: Ctrl+H - Find and replace text
• Word Wrap: Toggle text wrapping for long lines
• Font Settings: Customize editor appearance

Supported External Editors

• Visual Studio Code: Full markdown support with extensions
• Notepad++: Lightweight with syntax highlighting
• Sublime Text: Advanced editing features
• Custom Editor: Any editor that accepts command-line file arguments

PDF Export

• Trigger: Ctrl+P or File → Export to PDF
• Quality: High-resolution output suitable for printing
• Formatting: Preserves all markdown styling and layout
• Progress: Real-time status with cancellation support

Technical Details:

• Uses Chromium/WebView2 for consistent rendering
• Supports embedded images and styling
• Automatic page breaks and margins
• Export location defaults to same directory as source file

Word Export

• Trigger: File → Export to Word
• Format: Microsoft Word (.docx) documents
• Compatibility: Works with Word 2016 and later
• Elements: Headings, lists, tables, and basic formatting preserved

Requirements:

• PowerShell execution policy allows scripts
• Pandoc automatically downloaded if needed
• Temporary file handling for conversion process

Accessing the Documentation Hub

• Keyboard: Ctrl+D
• Menu: Tools → Documentation Hub
• Toolbar: Click the Documentation Hub icon

Category Management

• Organizational Structure: Create categories like "API Docs", "User Guides", "SOPs"
• Nested Categories: Support for sub-categories and complex hierarchies
• Color Coding: Visual identification for different document types
• Access Control: Mark categories as public or restricted

Document Organization

• Priority Levels: High, Medium, Low priority assignments
• Quick Access: Pin frequently used documents
• Search & Filter: Find documents across all categories
• Recent Activity: Track recently accessed documents

Team Coordination

• Dashboard Generation: Create team overview pages
• Documentation Inventory: Track all team documents
• Standard Templates: Incident response, API documentation, etc.
• Export Coordination: Bulk export for team distributions

Silent Installation for Teams

# PowerShell deployment script
# Get the latest release URL programmatically
$repo = "MDViewer-App/mdviewer.app"
$releases = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://api.github.com/repos/$repo/releases/latest"
$installerUrl = $releases.assets | Where-Object { $_.name -like "*Setup.msi" } | Select-Object -ExpandProperty browser_download_url
$installerPath = "$env:TEMP\MDViewer-Setup.msi"

# Download installer
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $installerUrl -OutFile $installerPath

# Silent install
Start-Process msiexec.exe -ArgumentList "/i `"$installerPath`" /quiet /norestart" -Wait

# Cleanup
Remove-Item $installerPath -Force

Group Policy Configuration

• MSI Deployment: Use Software Installation in Group Policy
• Registry Settings: Pre-configure external editor preferences
• File Associations: Ensure consistent .md file handling
• Update Management: Control update notifications via registry

Large Document Handling

• Memory Usage: Large documents (>50MB) may require additional RAM
• Image Loading: Many images can slow initial rendering
• Complex Tables: Large tables may impact scrolling performance
• Optimization: Break large documents into smaller, linked files

Log Files

MDViewer creates log files in:

• Windows 10/11: %APPDATA%\MDViewer\Logs\
• Portable Version: Logs\ folder next to executable

Include these logs when reporting issues for faster support.

Basic Usage

# Open specific file
MDViewer.exe "C:\Docs\README.md"

# Open with specific zoom level
MDViewer.exe --zoom=150 "document.md"

# Open in read-only mode
MDViewer.exe --readonly "sensitive-doc.md"

Settings Location

• User Settings: %APPDATA%\MDViewer\settings.json
• Portable Settings: settings.json next to executable
• Recent Files: recent-files.json in same directory

Example Settings Configuration

{
  "WindowState": {
    "Width": 1200,
    "Height": 800,
    "Left": 100,
    "Top": 100,
    "Maximized": false
  },
  "ZoomFactor": 1.0,
  "ExternalEditor": "C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft VS Code\\Code.exe",
  "Theme": "GitHub",
  "AutoSaveInterval": 30,
  "ShowLineNumbers": true
}

Theme Customization

Create custom CSS files in %APPDATA%\MDViewer\Themes\:

/* custom-theme.css */
body {
    font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif;
    background-color: #f8f9fa;
    color: #343a40;
}

h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6 {
    color: #007bff;
    border-bottom: 2px solid #e9ecef;
}

code {
    background-color: #e9ecef;
    color: #d63384;
    padding: 0.2rem 0.4rem;
    border-radius: 0.25rem;
}

Git Integration

• Repository Detection: Automatic .git folder scanning
• Base URL Resolution: Proper image path handling
• Relative Link Support: Works with Git repository structures
• Branch-Aware Navigation: Respects current working directory

Documentation Workflows

• Watch Mode: Auto-refresh when files change (F5 or manual)
• Multi-Repository: Handle multiple documentation projects
• Template System: Create standard document templates
• Batch Operations: Process multiple files for export

📧 Contact Information

• General Support: [email protected]
• Enterprise Inquiries: [email protected]
• Bug Reports: Use GitHub Issues (when repository is public)
• Feature Requests: Submit via email with detailed use cases

Staying Current

• Automatic Updates: MSI installations check for updates weekly
• Manual Updates: Download new versions from mdviewer.app
• Portable Updates: Replace executable with new version
• Settings Preservation: All user preferences carry forward

🔐 Security Updates

Security patches are released immediately when identified. Always keep MDViewer updated to the latest version for:

• ✅ Latest WebView2 security patches
• ✅ Vulnerability fixes in dependencies
• ✅ Enhanced file handling security
• ✅ Protection against malicious markdown content

Documentation and Examples

• Sample Documents: Download example markdown files showing MDViewer features
• Template Library: Ready-to-use templates for common documentation types
• Best Practices: Guides for organizing large documentation projects
• Video Tutorials: Step-by-step guides for advanced features