Zettlr

Last updated
Zettlr
Developer(s) Hendrik Erz
Initial releaseDecember 26, 2017;6 years ago (2017-12-26)
Stable release
3.0.5 / February 7, 2024;3 months ago (2024-02-07)
Preview release
3.1.0-beta / March 1, 2024;2 months ago (2024-03-01)
Repository github.com/Zettlr/Zettlr
Written in Electron, TypeScript, JavaScript, HTML, CSS
Operating system Windows, macOS, Linux
Type
License GNU General Public License
Website zettlr.com

Zettlr is a free and open-source note-taking application that works with Markdown files. [1] Files may be exported and imported from a variety of different formats using an integration with Pandoc, whilst integration with reference managers allows for insertion of citations into documents. [2] [3] Internal links may be created between notes, which can be visualised as a graph, enabling its use as a personal information management system or digital Zettelkasten . [4] [5] [6] The name Zettlr is derived from the German word Zettel meaning 'note'. [7]

Contents

History

Development on Zettlr began in November 2017, after the developer, Hendrik Erz, felt he had "tried several Markdown editors... and realize[d] that there [were] simply none written for the needs of organizing a huge amount of text efficiently", and that existing options were mostly "tailored to the needs of engineers and mathematicians", leading him to start developing an application that he wanted to personally use. [8] [9] Version 1.0 was released in December 2018 and version 2.0 was released in October 2021. [10] [11] Version 3.0 was released in September 2023, introducing a new logo as well as split view, multiple windows, pinned tabs, a status bar, and LanguageTool integration for spelling and grammar checking. [12]

Features

Zettlr is built on Electron, as a cross-platform application that runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS. [13] [14] The software features 5 main built-in themes, but can be further customised using custom CSS. [15]

Zettlr operates with folders of text documents to enable organisation of notes, with top-level folders able to be opened as Workspaces within the application. [16] [17] Workspaces may include a mixture of files and directories, and files can be exported to over 30 different formats such as HTML, PDF, ODT, DOCX, and LaTeX, among others, using Pandoc. [13] [18] Files may either be exported individually, or as part of a project, which enables multiple files to be combined into one output document. [19] Zettlr integrates with reference managers such as Zotero, JabRef and Mendeley using CSL JSON or BibTeX files to enable inclusion of citations and bibliographies for academic writing. [16] [20] Zettlr also allows for internal linking between notes, creating an interactive graph that visualises the relationships between notes, as well as the use of tags to enable further file organisation. [8] [21]

The software follows the idea of explicit separation of content and form. [22] [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

A lightweight markup language (LML), also termed a simple or humane markup language, is a markup language with simple, unobtrusive syntax. It is designed to be easy to write using any generic text editor and easy to read in its raw form. Lightweight markup languages are used in applications where it may be necessary to read the raw document as well as the final rendered output.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UltraEdit</span>

UltraEdit is a text editor for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and MacOS. It was initially developed in 1994 by Ian D. Mead, the founder of IDM Computer Solutions Inc., and was acquired by Idera Inc. in the August of 2021. Originally called MEDIT, it was first designed to run on Windows 3.1. A version called UltraEdit-32 was later created to run on Windows NT and Windows 95. The last 16-bit UltraEdit program version was 6.20b. UltraEdit-32 was later renamed to UltraEdit in version 14.00. Version 22.2 was the first native 64-bit version of the text editor. Starting with 2022.0, versioning had become year-based.

A collaborative real-time editor is a type of collaborative software or web application which enables real-time collaborative editing, simultaneous editing, or live editing of the same digital document, computer file or cloud-stored data – such as an online spreadsheet, word processing document, database or presentation – at the same time by different users on different computers or mobile devices, with automatic and nearly instantaneous merging of their edits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markdown</span> Plain text markup language

Markdown is a lightweight markup language for creating formatted text using a plain-text editor. John Gruber and Aaron Swartz created Markdown in 2004 as a markup language that is intended to be easy to read in its source code form. Markdown is widely used for blogging and instant messaging, and also used elsewhere in online forums, collaborative software, documentation pages, and readme files.

A personal wiki is wiki software that allows individual users to organize information on their desktop or mobile computing devices in a manner similar to community wikis, but without collaborative software or multiple users.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BibDesk</span> Reference management software

BibDesk is an open-source reference management software package for macOS, used to manage bibliographies and references when writing essays and articles. It can also be used to organize and maintain a library of documents in PDF format and other formats. It is primarily a BibTeX front-end for use with LaTeX, but also offers external bibliographic database connectivity for importing, a variety of means for exporting, and capability for linking to local documents and automatically filing local documents. It takes advantage of many macOS features such as AppleScript and Spotlight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MyInfo</span>

MyInfo is a personal information manager developed by Milenix Software. MyInfo collects, organizes, edit, stores, and retrieves personal-reference information like text documents, web snippets, e-mails, notes, and files from other applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Org-mode</span> Open source mode for GNU Emacs

Org Mode is a mode for document editing, formatting, and organizing within the free software text editor GNU Emacs and its derivatives, designed for notes, planning, and authoring. The name is used to encompass plain text files that include simple marks to indicate levels of a hierarchy, and an editor with functions that can read the markup and manipulate hierarchy elements.

OnlyOffice, stylized as ONLYOFFICE, is a free software office suite and ecosystem of collaborative applications. It consists of online editors for text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, forms and PDFs, and the room-based collaborative platform.

Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization service developed by Google. Launched on April 24, 2012, Google Drive allows users to store files in the cloud, synchronize files across devices, and share files. In addition to a web interface, Google Drive offers apps with offline capabilities for Windows and macOS computers, and Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. Google Drive encompasses Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides, which are a part of the Google Docs Editors office suite that permits collaborative editing of documents, spreadsheets, presentations, drawings, forms, and more. Files created and edited through the Google Docs suite are saved in Google Drive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zim (software)</span> Personal wiki software written in Python

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">HandyLinux</span> Linux distribution

HandyLinux is a simplified Linux operating system developed in France, derived from the Debian stable branch. It was designed to be easily accessible and downloadable, so that it could be used by people with very little computer experience and on a range of older hardware that was no longer supported by the latest versions of proprietary operating systems. It was particularly aimed at older people with dated hardware who do not need nor possess the skill to use many features afforded by state-of-the-art operating systems.

Pandoc is a free-software document converter, widely used as a writing tool and as a basis for publishing workflows. It was created by John MacFarlane, a philosophy professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KDE Gear</span> Set of applications and supporting libraries

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">QOwnNotes</span> Note taking app with markdown support

QOwnNotes is a free open source (GPL) plain-text notepad. The program has support for markdown, and includes a to-do list manager that works on FreeBSD, Linux, MacOS and Windows. It can optionally work together with the notes application of ownCloud or Nextcloud.

Notion is a freemium productivity and note-taking web application developed by Notion Labs, Inc. It offers organizational tools including task management, project tracking, to-do lists, and bookmarking. Additional offline features are offered by desktop and mobile applications available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. Users can create custom templates, embed videos and web content, and collaborate with others in real-time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collabora Online</span> Online office suite based on LibreOffice

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obsidian (software)</span> Knowledge base and note-taking software

Obsidian is a personal knowledge base and note-taking software application that operates on Markdown files. It allows users to make internal links for notes and then to visualize the connections as a graph. It is designed to help users organize and structure their thoughts and knowledge in a flexible, non-linear way. The software is free for personal use, with commercial licenses available for pay.

References

  1. ↑ Zettlr. "History". Zettlr. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  2. ↑ Mastery, Torry (2023-09-08). "Zettlr – A Comprehensive Guide". DotCom Magazine-Influencers And Entrepreneurs Making News. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  3. ↑ Stanton, Lee (2023-11-21). "The Best Obsidian Alternatives". Alphr. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  4. ↑ Ahrens, Sönke (2022-03-09). How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking (2nd ed.). North Charleston, SC: Kindle Direct Publishing. ISBN   978-3982438801. Even though you could basically emulate the slip-box with any program that allows setting links and tagging (like Evernote or a Wiki), I strongly recommend using one that allows backlinking like Obsidian or Roam Research, or is especially designed for this system (like Zettlr or ZKN3)
  5. ↑ Smith, Charlie Harry (2023-09-07). "Digitising reflective equilibrium". Ethics and Information Technology. 25 (3). doi: 10.1007/s10676-023-09722-w . ISSN   1388-1957. ...note-taking applications designed for 'personal knowledge management'. My chief recommendations are Zettlr, Logseq, and Obsidian.
  6. ↑ Groeneveld, Wouter; Hermans, Felienne (2023-05-30). The Creative Programmer. Shelter Island: Manning Publications. pp. 23–30. ISBN   978-1-63343-905-4.
  7. ↑ Zettlr. "History". Zettlr. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  8. 1 2 Wohlscheid, John Paul (2019-05-20). "Zettlr – Markdown Editor for Writers and Researchers". It's FOSS. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  9. ↑ Johanns, Sam F. (2019-04-07). "Developing Open Source Software Is A Political Act". Des Friedrich Wilhelms. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  10. ↑ "Zettlr 2.0: Persönliche Wissensdatenbank runderneuert". ifun.de (in German). 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  11. ↑ Zettlr. "Zettlr 2.0.0 released". Zettlr. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  12. ↑ "Zettlr releases v3.0: its biggest update so far, with improved features and a new icon". AlternativeTo . 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  13. 1 2 Ciobica, Vladimir (2024-03-02). "Softpedia Review – Zettlr". Softpedia . Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  14. ↑ Logix (2020-07-06). "Zettlr Markdown Editor 1.7 Adds Vim And Emacs Input Modes, Tabs Support, Faster Startup Time". Linux Uprising Blog. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  15. ↑ "Custom CSS – Zettlr User Manual". docs.zettlr.com. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  16. 1 2 Saigal, Rahul (2018-10-03). "The 6 Best Mac Markdown Editors". MUO. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  17. ↑ "Workspaces and Folders – Zettlr User Manual". docs.zettlr.com. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  18. ↑ "Mit Zettlr Markdown-Dokumente erstellen". LinuxCommunity (in German). 2024-02-15. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  19. ↑ "Projects – Zettlr User Manual". docs.zettlr.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  20. ↑ "Citations – Zettlr User Manual". docs.zettlr.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  21. ↑ "Zettlr Review: Is This Markdown Editor Worth It? (2024)". becomeawritertoday.com. 2022-11-16. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  22. ↑ Mahlow, Cerstin; Piotrowski, Michael (2022-11-18). "Academic writing and publishing beyond documents". Proceedings of the 22nd ACM Symposium on Document Engineering. DocEng '22. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery. pp. 1–4. doi:10.1145/3558100.3563840. hdl: 11475/26267 . ISBN   978-1-4503-9544-1.
  23. ↑ Perret, Arthur (2022-12-02). De l'héritage épistémologique de Paul Otlet à une théorie relationnelle de l'organisation des connaissances (phdthesis). Université Michel de Montaigne – Bordeaux III. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
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