Neon Vision Editor

A lightweight, modern editor focused on speed, readability, and automatic syntax highlighting.

Minimal by design: quick edits, fast file access, no IDE bloat.

h3p apps is a focused portal for product docs, setup guides, and release workflows: >h3p apps

Release Download: GitHub Releases

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Status: active release
Latest release: v0.5.2 Platform target: macOS 26 (Tahoe) compatible with macOS Sequoia Apple Silicon: tested / Intel: not tested Last updated (README): 2026-03-10 for release line v0.5.2

Start Here

• Jump: Install | Features | Contributing
• Quick install: GitHub Releases, App Store, TestFlight
• Need help quickly: Troubleshooting | FAQ | Known Issues

Start in 60s (Source Build)

1. git clone https://github.com/h3pdesign/Neon-Vision-Editor.git
2. cd Neon-Vision-Editor
3. xcodebuild -project "Neon Vision Editor.xcodeproj" -scheme "Neon Vision Editor" -destination 'platform=macOS,name=My Mac' build
4. open "Neon Vision Editor.xcodeproj" and run, then use Cmd+P for Quick Open.

For	Not For
Fast native editing across macOS, iOS, iPadOS	Full IDE workflows with deep refactoring/debugger stacks
Markdown writing and script/config edits with highlighting	Teams that require complete Intel Mac validation today
Users who want low overhead and quick file access	Users expecting full desktop-IDE parity on iPhone

Table of Contents

Start Here · Release Channels · Download Metrics · Project Docs · Features · Platform Matrix
Roadmap (Near Term) · Troubleshooting · FAQ · Changelog · Contributing Quickstart · Support & Feedback

Release Channels

Channel	Best for	Delivery
	Direct notarized builds and fastest stable updates	GitHub Releases
	Apple-managed install/update flow	App Store
	Early testing of upcoming changes	TestFlight

Download Metrics

Release Download + Clone Trend

Styled line chart shows per-release totals plus a scaled 14-day git clone volume bar.

Git clones (last 14 days): 2624.

Snapshot total downloads: 599 across releases.

Project Docs

• Release history: CHANGELOG.md
• Contributing guide: CONTRIBUTING.md
• Privacy: PRIVACY.md
• Security policy: SECURITY.md
• Release checklists: release/ — TestFlight & App Store preflight docs

What's New Since v0.5.1

• Added Close All Tabs actions across macOS, iOS, and iPadOS with a confirmation safeguard.
• Added project-sidebar quick actions (Expand All / Collapse All) and a default-on Show Supported Files Only filter.
• Added safer unsupported-file handling for sidebar/open/import flows with clear user alerts instead of crash paths.
• Added .svg file support with XML language mapping and syntax-highlighting path reuse.

Who Is This For?

• Quick note takers who want a fast native editor without IDE overhead.
• Markdown-focused writers who need clean editing and quick preview on Apple devices.
• Developers editing scripts/config files who want syntax highlighting and fast file navigation.

Why This Instead of a Full IDE?

• Faster startup and lower UI overhead for quick edits.
• Focused surface: editor-first workflow without project-system bloat.
• Native Apple-platform behavior across macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.

Who This Is Not For

• Users who need full IDE features such as deep refactoring suites and debugger-heavy workflows.
• Teams requiring full Intel-mac validation today.
• Users expecting parity with large desktop IDE ecosystems on iPhone.

Download

Prebuilt binaries are available on GitHub Releases.

GitHub Releases (Stable)

Best for direct notarized builds and fastest access to new stable versions.

• Download: GitHub Releases
• Latest release: v0.5.2
• Channel: Stable
• Architecture: Apple Silicon (Intel not tested)

App Store

Best for users who prefer Apple-managed installs and updates.

• Download: Neon Vision Editor on the App Store
• Channel: Store

TestFlight (Beta)

Best for testing upcoming changes before they land in the stable channel.

• Join beta: TestFlight Invite
• Channel: Beta

Install

Quick install (curl)

Install the latest release directly:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/h3pdesign/Neon-Vision-Editor/main/scripts/install.sh | sh

Install without admin password prompts (user-local app folder):

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/h3pdesign/Neon-Vision-Editor/main/scripts/install.sh | sh -s -- --appdir "$HOME/Applications"

Homebrew

brew tap h3pdesign/tap
brew install --cask neon-vision-editor

Tap repository: h3pdesign/homebrew-tap

If Homebrew asks for an admin password, it is usually because casks install into /Applications. Use this to avoid that:

brew install --cask --appdir="$HOME/Applications" neon-vision-editor

Gatekeeper (macOS 26 Tahoe)

If macOS blocks first launch:

1. Open System Settings.
2. Go to Privacy & Security.
3. In Security, find the blocked app message.
4. Click Open Anyway.
5. Confirm the dialog.

Features

Neon Vision Editor keeps the surface minimal and focuses on fast writing/coding workflows. Platform-specific availability is tracked in the Platform Matrix section below.

Editing Core

• Fast loading for regular and large text files with tabbed editing.
• Broad syntax highlighting, inline completion with Tab-to-accept, and regex Find/Replace with Replace All.
• Optional Vim workflow support and starter templates for common languages.

Navigation & Workflow

• Quick Open (Cmd+P), project sidebar navigation, and recursive project tree rendering.
• Project quick actions (Expand All / Collapse All) and supported-files-only filter.
• Cross-platform Save As… and Close All Tabs with confirmation.

Preview, Platform, and Safety

• Native Markdown preview templates on macOS/iOS/iPadOS plus iPhone bottom-sheet preview.
• .svg file support via XML mode and bracket helper on all platforms.
• Unsupported-file open/import safety guards and session restore for previously opened project folder.

Customization & Diagnostics

• Built-in theme collection: Dracula, One Dark Pro, Nord, Tokyo Night, Gruvbox, and Neon Glow.
• Grouped settings, optional StoreKit support flow, and AI Activity Log diagnostics on macOS.

Architecture At A Glance

flowchart LR
  Mac["Platform: macOS shell (SwiftUI + AppKit bridges)"]
  IOS["Platform: iOS/iPadOS shell (SwiftUI + UIKit bridges)"]
  ACT["App Layer: user actions (toolbar/menu/shortcuts)"]
  VM["App Layer: EditorViewModel (@MainActor state owner)"]
  CMD["App Layer: command reducers (Flux-style mutations)"]
  IO["Core: file I/O + load/sanitize pipeline"]
  HL["Core: syntax highlighting + runtime limits"]
  FIND["Core: find/replace + selection engine"]
  PREV["Core: markdown preview renderer"]
  SAFE["Core: unsupported-file safety guards"]
  STORE["Infra: tabs + session restore store"]
  PREFS["Infra: settings + persistence"]
  SEC["Infra: SecureTokenStore (Keychain)"]
  UPD["Infra: release update manager"]

  Mac --> ACT
  IOS --> ACT
  ACT --> VM
  VM --> CMD
  CMD --> STORE
  VM --> IO
  VM --> HL
  VM --> FIND
  VM --> PREV
  VM --> SAFE
  VM --> PREFS
  VM --> UPD
  PREFS --> STORE
  IO --> STORE
  VM --> SEC

  classDef platform stroke:#2563EB,stroke-width:3px,fill:transparent,font-family:ui-monospace\, SFMono-Regular\, Menlo\, Monaco\, Consolas\, Liberation Mono\, monospace,font-size:13px;
  classDef app stroke:#059669,stroke-width:3px,fill:transparent,font-family:ui-monospace\, SFMono-Regular\, Menlo\, Monaco\, Consolas\, Liberation Mono\, monospace,font-size:13px;
  classDef core stroke:#EA580C,stroke-width:3px,fill:transparent,font-family:ui-monospace\, SFMono-Regular\, Menlo\, Monaco\, Consolas\, Liberation Mono\, monospace,font-size:13px;
  classDef infra stroke:#9333EA,stroke-width:3px,fill:transparent,font-family:ui-monospace\, SFMono-Regular\, Menlo\, Monaco\, Consolas\, Liberation Mono\, monospace,font-size:13px;

  class Mac,IOS platform;
  class ACT,VM,CMD app;
  class IO,HL,FIND,PREV,SAFE core;
  class STORE,PREFS,SEC,UPD infra;

  linkStyle 0,1 stroke:#2563EB,stroke-width:2px;
  linkStyle 2,3 stroke:#059669,stroke-width:2px;
  linkStyle 5,6,7,8,9,13 stroke:#EA580C,stroke-width:2px;
  linkStyle 4,10,11,12,14 stroke:#9333EA,stroke-width:2px;

• EditorViewModel is the single UI-facing orchestration point per window/scene.
• Commands mutate editor state predictably; session/tabs persist through store services.
• File access and parsing stay off the main thread; UI state changes stay on the main thread.
• Platform shells stay thin and route interactions into shared app/core services.
• Security-sensitive credentials remain in Keychain (SecureTokenStore), not plain prefs.
• Color key in diagram: blue = platform shell, green = app orchestration, orange = core services, purple = infrastructure.

Architecture principles

• Keep UI mutations on the main thread (@MainActor) and heavy work off the UI thread.
• Keep window/scene state isolated to avoid accidental cross-window coupling.
• Keep security defaults strict: tokens in Keychain, no telemetry by default.
• Keep platform wrappers thin and push shared behavior into common services.

Platform Matrix

Most editor features are shared across macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.

Shared Across All Platforms

• Fast text editing with syntax highlighting.
• Markdown preview templates (Default, Docs, Article, Compact).
• Project sidebar with supported-files filter.
• Unsupported-file safety alerts.
• SVG (.svg) support via XML mode.
• Close All Tabs with confirmation.
• Bracket helper and grouped Settings cards.

Platform-Specific Differences

Capability	macOS	iOS	iPadOS	Notes
Quick Open Cmd+P				iOS needs a hardware keyboard for shortcut-driven flow.
Bracket Helper				Same behavior across platforms; only the UI surface differs.
Markdown Preview				Interaction adapts to screen size and platform input model.

Trust & Reliability Signals

• Notarized release pipeline: release-notarized.yml
• Latest successful notarized run: main + success
• Pre-release verification gate: pre-release-ci.yml
• Latest successful pre-release run: main + success
• Security scanning: CodeQL workflow
• Latest successful CodeQL run: main + success
• Homebrew cask sync workflow: update-cask.yml
• Latest successful Homebrew sync run: homebrew-tap + success

Platform Gallery

• macOS
• iPad
• iPhone
• Source image index for docs: docs/images/README.md
• App Store gallery: Neon Vision Editor on App Store
• Latest release assets: GitHub Releases

macOS

_{macOS main editor window}

iPad

Quick Open + Project Sidebar workflow

Markdown preview flow in editor context

iPhone

Theme customization workflow	Dark-theme editing preview
Toolbar Menu Actions

Release Flow (Completed + Upcoming)

_{Click to open full-size SVG and zoom. In full view, each card links to release notes or the roadmap hub.}

Roadmap (Near Term)

Now (v0.5.2 - v0.5.4)

• updater diagnostics, large-file mode parity, CSV/TSV table mode, performance presets.
  Tracking: Milestone 0.5.2 · #24 · #25 · #26 · #30
• indexed project search and Open Recent favorites.
  Tracking: Milestone 0.5.3 · #29 · #31
• iPad settings layout density and reduced scrolling.
  Tracking: Milestone 0.5.4 · #12

Next (v0.5.5 - v0.5.7)

• iOS file-handler QA matrix and UI tests.
  Tracking: Milestone 0.5.5 · #23
• Safe Mode startup.
  Tracking: #27
• incremental loading for huge files.
  Tracking: #28

Later (v0.6.0)

• native side-by-side diff view.
  Tracking: Milestone 0.6.0 · #33

Known Issues

• Open known issues (live filter): label:known-issue

Troubleshooting

1. App blocked on first launch: use Gatekeeper steps above in Privacy & Security.
2. Markdown preview not visible: ensure you are on macOS or iPadOS (not available on iPhone).
3. Shortcut not working on iOS: connect a hardware keyboard for shortcut-based flows like Cmd+P.
4. Sidebar/layout feels cramped on iPad: switch orientation or close side panels before preview.
5. Settings feel off after updates: quit/relaunch app and verify current release version in Settings.

Configuration

• Theme and appearance: Settings > Designs
• Editor behavior (font, line height, wrapping, snippets): Settings > Editor
• Startup/session behavior: Settings > Allgemein/General
• Support and purchase options: Settings > Mehr/More (platform-dependent)

FAQ

• Does Neon Vision Editor support Intel Macs?
  Intel is currently not fully validated. If you can help test, see Help wanted: Intel Mac test coverage.
• Can I use it offline?
  Yes for core editing; network is only needed for optional external services (for example selected AI providers).
• Do I need AI enabled to use the editor?
  No. Core editing, navigation, and preview features work without AI.
• Where are tokens stored?
  In Keychain via SecureTokenStore, not in UserDefaults.

Keyboard Shortcuts

All shortcuts use Cmd (⌘). iPad/iOS require a hardware keyboard.

Shortcut	Action	Platforms
Cmd+N	New Window
Cmd+T	New Tab
Cmd+O	Open File
Cmd+Shift+O	Open Folder
Cmd+S	Save
Cmd+Shift+S	Save As…
Cmd+W	Close Tab

Shortcut	Action	Platforms
Cmd+X	Cut
Cmd+C	Copy
Cmd+V	Paste
Cmd+A	Select All
Cmd+Z	Undo
Cmd+Shift+Z	Redo
Cmd+D	Add Next Match

Shortcut	Action	Platforms
Cmd+Option+S	Toggle Sidebar
Cmd+Shift+D	Brain Dump Mode

Shortcut	Action	Platforms
Cmd+F	Find & Replace
Cmd+G	Find Next
Cmd+Shift+F	Find in Files

Shortcut	Action	Platforms
Cmd+P	Quick Open
Cmd+D	Add next match
Cmd+Shift+V	Toggle Vim Mode

Shortcut	Action	Platforms
Cmd+Shift+G	Suggest Code
Cmd+Shift+L	AI Activity Log
Cmd+Shift+U	Inspect Whitespace at Caret

Changelog

Latest stable: v0.5.2 (2026-03-09)

Recent Releases (At a glance)

Version	Date	Highlights	Fixes	Breaking changes	Migration
v0.5.2	2026-03-09	editor performance presets in Settings (Balanced, Large Files, Battery) with shared runtime mapping; configurable project navigator placement (Left/Right) for project-structure sidebar layout; iOS/iPadOS large-file responsiveness by lowering automatic large-file thresholds and applying preset-based tuning	missing diagnostics reset workflow by adding a dedicated Clear Diagnostics action that also clears file-open timing snapshots; macOS editor-window top-bar jumping when toggling the toolbar translucency control by keeping chrome flags stable; CSV/TSV mode header transparency so the mode bar now uses a solid standard window background	None noted	None required
v0.5.1	2026-03-08	bulk Close All Tabs actions to toolbar surfaces (macOS, iOS, iPadOS), including a confirmation step before closing; project-structure quick actions to expand all folders or collapse all folders in one step; Markdown preview stability by preserving relative scroll position during preview refreshes	diagnostics export safety by redacting token-like updater status fragments before copying; Markdown regression coverage with new tests for Claude-style mixed-content Markdown and code-fence matching behavior; accidental destructive tab-bulk-close behavior by requiring explicit user confirmation before closing all tabs	None noted	None required
v0.5.0	2026-03-06	updater staging hardening with retry/fallback behavior and staged-bundle integrity checks; explicit accessibility labels/hints for key toolbar actions and updater log/progress controls; CSV handling by enabling fast syntax profile earlier and for long-line CSV files to reduce freeze risk	updater staging resilience when ditto fails by retrying and falling back safely to copy-based staging; release preflight to fail on unresolved placeholder entries and stale README download metrics; inconsistent reappearance of the macOS settings tab title in the upper-left window title area	None noted	None required

• Full release history: CHANGELOG.md
• Compare recent changes: v0.5.0...v0.5.2

Known Limitations

• Intel Macs are not fully validated.
• Vim support is intentionally basic (not full Vim emulation).
• iOS/iPad editor functionality is still more limited than macOS.

Privacy & Security

• Privacy policy: PRIVACY.md.
• API keys are stored in Keychain (SecureTokenStore), not UserDefaults.
• Network traffic uses HTTPS.
• No telemetry.
• External AI requests only occur when code completion is enabled and a provider is selected.
• Security policy and reporting details: SECURITY.md.

Release Integrity

• Tag: v0.5.2
• Tagged commit: 1c31306
• Verify local tag target:

git rev-parse --verify v0.5.2

• Verify downloaded artifact checksum locally:

shasum -a 256 <downloaded-file>

Release Policy

• Stable: tagged GitHub releases intended for daily use.
• Beta: TestFlight builds may include in-progress UX and platform polish.
• Cadence: fixes/polish can ship between minor tags, with summary notes mirrored in README and CHANGELOG.md.

Requirements

• macOS 26 (Tahoe)
• Xcode compatible with macOS 26 toolchain
• Apple Silicon recommended
• iOS and iPadOS simulator runtimes installed in Xcode for cross-platform verification

Build from source

If you already completed the Start in 60s (Source Build), you can open and run directly from Xcode.

git clone https://github.com/h3pdesign/Neon-Vision-Editor.git
cd Neon-Vision-Editor
open "Neon Vision Editor.xcodeproj"

Contributing Quickstart

Contributor guide: CONTRIBUTING.md

1. Fork the repo and create a focused branch.
2. Implement the smallest safe diff for your change.
3. Build on macOS first.
4. Run cross-platform verification script.
5. Open a PR with screenshots for UI changes and a short risk note.
6. Link to related issue/milestone and call out user-visible impact.

git clone https://github.com/h3pdesign/Neon-Vision-Editor.git
cd Neon-Vision-Editor
xcodebuild -project "Neon Vision Editor.xcodeproj" -scheme "Neon Vision Editor" -destination 'platform=macOS,name=My Mac' build

Lock-safe cross-platform verification (sequential macOS + iOS Simulator + iPad Simulator):

scripts/ci/build_platform_matrix.sh

Support & Feedback

• Feedback pulse (top): Positive + Negative

Support Neon Vision Editor

Keep it free, sustainable, and improving.

• Neon Vision Editor will always stay free to use.

• No subscriptions and no paywalls.

• Keeping the app alive still has real costs: Apple Developer Program fee, maintenance, updates, and long-term support.

• Optional Support Tip (Consumable): $4.99 and can be purchased multiple times.

• Your support helps cover Apple developer fees, bug fixes and updates, future improvements and features, and long-term support.

• Thank you for helping keep Neon Vision Editor free for everyone.

• In-app support tip: Settings > Mehr/More (platform-dependent)

• External support: Patreon

• External support: PayPal

Creator Sites

• Questions and ideas: GitHub Discussions
• Discussions categories: Ideas | Q&A | Showcase
• Project board (Now / Next / Later): Roadmap Hub #49
• Known issues: Known Issues Hub #50
• Contributing fast track: Contributing Hub #51
• Feature requests: label:enhancement
• Issue triage filters: help wanted | good first issue | known-issue | regression

Git hooks

To auto-increment Xcode CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION on every commit:

scripts/install_git_hooks.sh

License

Neon Vision Editor is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE.