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

Feedback Pulse

Share what works well and what should improve for both the app and the README.

Positive Share positive feedback

Negative Share negative feedback

Status: active release
Latest release: v0.5.6 Platform target: macOS 26 (Tahoe) compatible with macOS Sequoia Apple Silicon: tested / Intel: not tested Last updated (README): 2026-03-18 for release line v0.5.6

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 · New Feature · 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 + Traffic Trend

Styled line chart shows per-release totals with 14-day traffic counters for clones and views.

## 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 v0.5.5

• Added Safe Mode startup recovery with repeated-failure detection and a Normal Next Launch recovery action.
• Added background project indexing for faster Quick Open and Find in Files in larger folders.
• Added Markdown preview PDF export with paginated and one-page output modes.
• Added an iPad hardware-keyboard Vim MVP with core normal-mode navigation and editing commands.
• Added theme formatting options for bold keywords, italic comments, underlined links, and bold Markdown headings.
• Fixed immediate application of theme-formatting changes and the related editor font-size regression.
• Fixed German Settings localization gaps and improved Settings layout density.

Who Is This For?

Best For	Why Neon Vision Editor
Quick note takers	Fast native startup and low UI overhead for quick edits
Markdown-focused writers	Clean editing with quick preview workflows on Apple devices
Developers editing scripts/config files	Syntax highlighting + fast file navigation without full IDE complexity

Why This Instead of a Full IDE?

Advantage	What It Means
Faster startup	Lower overhead for short edit sessions
Focused surface	Editor-first workflow without project-system bloat
Native Apple behavior	Consistent experience on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS

Download

Prebuilt binaries are available on GitHub Releases.

Channel	Best For	Download	Release Track	Notes
Stable	Direct notarized builds and fastest stable updates	GitHub Releases	v0.5.5	Apple Silicon tested, Intel not fully validated
Store	Apple-managed installs and updates	Neon Vision Editor on the App Store	App Store	Automatic Store delivery/update flow
Beta	Testing upcoming changes before stable	TestFlight Invite	TestFlight	Early access builds for feedback

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 (including TeX/LaTeX), 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.

NEW FEATURE Spotlight

Featured in v0.5.6: Safe Mode startup recovery with repeated-failure detection, blank-document launch fallback, a dedicated startup explanation, and a Normal Next Launch recovery action.

Create polished share images directly from your selected code.

_{Styled export preview for social sharing, changelogs, and issue discussions.}

• Toolbar button: click in the top toolbar (Create Code Snapshot).
• Selection menu: right-click selected text and choose Create Code Snapshot.
• Composer controls: choose appearance, background, frame style, line numbers, and padding.
• Export: use Share to generate a PNG snapshot and share/save it.

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 (v0.5.4 - v0.5.6)

• indexed project search and Open Recent favorites.
  Tracking: Milestone 0.5.3 · #29 · #31
• large-file open mode, deferred/plain-text sessions, and stability work for huge documents.
  Tracking: Milestone 0.5.4
• first-open/sidebar rendering stabilization, session-restore hardening, and Code Snapshot workflow polish.
  Tracking: Milestone 0.5.5 · Release v0.5.5

Next (v0.5.7 - v0.5.9)

• Safe Mode startup.
  Tracking: #27
• incremental loading for huge files.
  Tracking: #28
• follow-up platform polish and release hardening.

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: v0.5.6 (2026-03-17)

Recent Releases (At a glance)

Version	Date	Highlights	Fixes	Breaking changes	Migration
v0.5.6	2026-03-17	Safe Mode startup recovery with repeated-failure detection, blank-document launch fallback, a dedicated startup explanation, and a Normal Next Launch recovery action; a background project file index for larger folders and wired it into Quick Open, Find in Files, and project refresh flows; Markdown preview PDF export with paginated and one-page output modes; an iPad hardware-keyboard Vim MVP with core normal-mode navigation/editing commands and shared mode-state reporting	Safe Mode so a successful launch clears recovery state and normal restarts no longer re-enter Safe Mode unnecessarily; Markdown PDF export clipping so long preview content is captured more reliably across page transitions and document endings; theme-formatting updates so editor styling refreshes immediately without requiring a theme switch	None noted	None required
v0.5.5	2026-03-16	Stabilized first-open rendering from the project sidebar so file content and syntax highlighting appear on first click without requiring tab switches; Hardened startup/session behavior so Reopen Last Session reliably wins over conflicting blank-document startup states; Refined large-file activation and loading placeholders to avoid misclassifying smaller files as large-file sessions; Share Shot (Code Snapshot) creation flow with toolbar + selection-context actions (camera.viewfinder) and a styled share/export composer	a session-restore regression where previously open files could appear empty on first sidebar click until changing tabs; highlight scheduling during document-state transitions (switch, finish load, external edits) on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS; startup-default conflicts by aligning defaults and runtime startup gating between Reopen Last Session and Open with Blank Document	None noted	None required
v0.5.4	2026-03-13	a dedicated large-file open mode with deferred first paint, chunked text installation, and an optional plain-text session mode for ultra-large documents	large-file responsiveness regressions across project-sidebar reopen, tab switching, line-number visibility, status metrics, and large-file editor rendering stability	None noted	None required

• Full release history: CHANGELOG.md
• Latest release: v0.5.6
• Compare recent changes: v0.5.5...v0.5.6

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: v0.5.6
• Tagged commit: f23c74a
• Verify local tag target:

git rev-parse --verify v0.5.6

• 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): Neon Vision Editor Roadmap
• Known issues: Known Issues Hub #50
• Contributor entry points: good first issue | help wanted
• 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.