render-markdown.nvim

Plugin to improve viewing Markdown files in Neovim

[!NOTE]

Repo has been renamed from markdown.nvim to make things more consistent.

Github will redirect all requests so nothing should break for most users.

For lazy.nvim & tokyonight.nvim users changing the plugin name will remove custom highlights until the following is merged #620.

In the meantime you can fix this by adding the following to your config:
require('tokyonight').setup({
    plugins = { markdown = true },
})
For rocks.nvim users migrate to the new LuaRock.
:Rocks prune markdown.nvim
:Rocks install render-markdown.nvim

Features

Functions entirely inside of Neovim with no external windows
Changes between rendered view in normal mode and raw view in all other modes
Supports anti-conceal behavior, removing any virtual text added by this plugin on the line the cursor is on, this does have a performance penalty and can be disabled
Changes window options between rendered and raw view based on configuration
- Effects conceallevel & concealcursor by default
Supports rendering markdown injected into other file types
Renders the following markdown components:
- Headings: highlight depending on level and replaces # with icon
- Horizontal breaks: replace with full-width lines
- Code blocks: highlight to better stand out
  - Adds language icon ¹, requires icon provider (mini.icons or nvim-web-devicons)
  - Left pad lines within block ¹
- Inline code: highlight to better stand out
- List bullet points: replace with provided icon based on level
- Checkboxes: replace with provided icon based on whether they are checked
- Block quotes: replace leading > with provided icon
- Tables: replace border characters, handles misaligned tables but does NOT align according to delimiter indicator
- Callouts
  - Github & Obsidian out of the box, supports user defined as well
- Custom checkbox states ¹, function similar to callouts
- Adds icon before images / links ¹
- LaTeX blocks: renders formulas if latex parser and pylatexenc are installed
Disable rendering when file is larger than provided value
Support custom handlers which are ran identically to builtin handlers

Requirements

neovim >= 0.9.0 (minimum) >= 0.10.0 (recommended)
treesitter parsers:
- markdown & markdown_inline: Used to parse markdown files
- latex (Optional): Used to get LaTeX blocks from markdown files
Icon provider plugin (Optional): Used for icon above code blocks
- mini.icons
- nvim-web-devicons
System dependencies:
- pylatexenc (Optional): Used to transform LaTeX strings to appropriate unicode using latex2text

Install

lazy.nvim

{
    'MeanderingProgrammer/render-markdown.nvim',
    opts = {},
    dependencies = { 'nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter', 'echasnovski/mini.nvim' }, -- if you use the mini.nvim suite
    -- dependencies = { 'nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter', 'echasnovski/mini.icons' }, -- if you use standalone mini plugins
    -- dependencies = { 'nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter', 'nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons' }, -- if you prefer nvim-web-devicons
}

rocks.nvim

This plugin is available on LuaRocks

:Rocks install render-markdown.nvim

packer.nvim

use({
    'MeanderingProgrammer/render-markdown.nvim',
    after = { 'nvim-treesitter' },
    requires = { 'echasnovski/mini.nvim', opt = true }, -- if you use the mini.nvim suite
    -- requires = { 'echasnovski/mini.icons', opt = true }, -- if you use standalone mini plugins
    -- requires = { 'nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons', opt = true }, -- if you prefer nvim-web-devicons
    config = function()
        require('render-markdown').setup({})
    end,
})

Commands

:RenderMarkdown | :RenderMarkdown enable - Enable this plugin
- Can also be accessed directly through require('render-markdown').enable()
:RenderMarkdown disable - Disable this plugin
- Can also be accessed directly through require('render-markdown').disable()
:RenderMarkdown toggle - Switch between enabling & disabling this plugin
- Can also be accessed directly through require('render-markdown').toggle()
:RenderMarkdown expand - Increase anti-conceal margin above and below by 1
- Can also be accessed directly through require('render-markdown').expand()
:RenderMarkdown contract - Decrease anti-conceal margin above and below by 1
- Can also be accessed directly through require('render-markdown').contract()

Setup

Checkout the Wiki for examples and images associated with different configuration options.

The full default configuration is provided below for reference.

Any part of it can be modified however for many fields this does not make much sense.

Some of the more useful fields are discussed further down.

<details> <summary>Full Default Configuration</summary>

require('render-markdown').setup({
    -- Whether Markdown should be rendered by default or not
    enabled = true,
    -- Maximum file size (in MB) that this plugin will attempt to render
    -- Any file larger than this will effectively be ignored
    max_file_size = 10.0,
    -- Milliseconds that must pass before updating marks, updates occur
    -- within the context of the visible window, not the entire buffer
    debounce = 100,
    -- Pre configured settings that will attempt to mimic various target
    -- user experiences. Any user provided settings will take precedence.
    --  obsidian: mimic Obsidian UI
    --  lazy:     will attempt to stay up to date with LazyVim configuration
    --  none:     does nothing
    preset = 'none',
    -- Capture groups that get pulled from markdown
    markdown_query = [[
        (atx_heading [
            (atx_h1_marker)
            (atx_h2_marker)
            (atx_h3_marker)
            (atx_h4_marker)
            (atx_h5_marker)
            (atx_h6_marker)
        ] @heading)

        (thematic_break) @dash

        (fenced_code_block) @code

        [
            (list_marker_plus)
            (list_marker_minus)
            (list_marker_star)
        ] @list_marker

        (task_list_marker_unchecked) @checkbox_unchecked
        (task_list_marker_checked) @checkbox_checked

        (block_quote) @quote

        (pipe_table) @table
    ]],
    -- Capture groups that get pulled from quote nodes
    markdown_quote_query = [[
        [
            (block_quote_marker)
            (block_continuation)
        ] @quote_marker
    ]],
    -- Capture groups that get pulled from inline markdown
    inline_query = [[
        (code_span) @code

        (shortcut_link) @shortcut

        [(inline_link) (full_reference_link) (image)] @link
    ]],
    -- The level of logs to write to file: vim.fn.stdpath('state') .. '/render-markdown.log'
    -- Only intended to be used for plugin development / debugging
    log_level = 'error',
    -- Filetypes this plugin will run on
    file_types = { 'markdown' },
    -- Vim modes that will show a rendered view of the markdown file
    -- All other modes will be uneffected by this plugin
    render_modes = { 'n', 'c' },
    -- Set to avoid seeing warnings for conflicts in health check
    acknowledge_conflicts = false,
    anti_conceal = {
        -- This enables hiding any added text on the line the cursor is on
        enabled = true,
        -- Number of lines above cursor to show
        above = 0,
        -- Number of lines below cursor to show
        below = 0,
    },
    latex = {
        -- Whether LaTeX should be rendered, mainly used for health check
        enabled = true,
        -- Executable used to convert latex formula to rendered unicode
        converter = 'latex2text',
        -- Highlight for LaTeX blocks
        highlight = 'RenderMarkdownMath',
        -- Amount of empty lines above LaTeX blocks
        top_pad = 0,
        -- Amount of empty lines below LaTeX blocks
        bottom_pad = 0,
    },
    heading = {
        -- Turn on / off heading icon & background rendering
        enabled = true,
        -- Turn on / off any sign column related rendering
        sign = true,
        -- Determines how the icon fills the available space:
        --  inline:  underlying '#'s are concealed resulting in a left aligned icon
        --  overlay: result is left padded with spaces to hide any additional '#'
        position = 'overlay',
        -- Replaces '#+' of 'atx_h._marker'
        -- The number of '#' in the heading determines the 'level'
        -- The 'level' is used to index into the array using a cycle
        icons = { '󰲡 ', '󰲣 ', '󰲥 ', '󰲧 ', '󰲩 ', '󰲫 ' },
        -- Added to the sign column if enabled
        -- The 'level' is used to index into the array using a cycle
        signs = { '󰫎 ' },
        -- Width of the heading background:
        --  block: width of the heading text
        --  full:  full width of the window
        -- Can also be an array of the above values in which case the 'level' is used
        -- to index into the array using a clamp
        width = 'full',
        -- Amount of padding to add to the left of headings
        left_pad = 0,
        -- Amount of padding to add to the right of headings when width is 'block'
        right_pad = 0,
        -- Minimum width to use for headings when width is 'block'
        min_width = 0,
        -- Determins if a border is added above and below headings
        border = false,
        -- Highlight the start of the border using the foreground highlight
        border_prefix = false,
        -- Used above heading for border
        above = '▄',
        -- Used below heading for border
        below = '▀',
        -- The 'level' is used to index into the array using a clamp
        -- Highlight for the heading icon and extends through the entire line
        backgrounds = {
            'RenderMarkdownH1Bg',
            'RenderMarkdownH2Bg',
            'RenderMarkdownH3Bg',
            'RenderMarkdownH4Bg',
            'RenderMarkdownH5Bg',
            'RenderMarkdownH6Bg',
        },
        -- The 'level' is used to index into the array using a clamp
        -- Highlight for the heading and sign icons
        foregrounds = {
            'RenderMarkdownH1',
            'RenderMarkdownH2',
            'RenderMarkdownH3',
            'RenderMarkdownH4',
            'RenderMarkdownH5',
            'RenderMarkdownH6',
        },
    },
    code = {
        -- Turn on / off code block & inline code rendering
        enabled = true,
        -- Turn on / off any sign column related rendering
        sign = true,
        -- Determines how code blocks & inline code are rendered:
        --  none:     disables all rendering
        --  normal:   adds highlight group to code blocks & inline code, adds padding to code blocks
        --  language: adds language icon to sign column if enabled and icon + name above code blocks
        --  full:     normal + language
        style = 'full',
        -- Determines where language icon is rendered:
        --  right: right side of code block
        --  left:  left side of code block
        position = 'left',
        -- An array of language names for which background highlighting will be disabled
        -- Likely because that language has background highlights itself
        disable_background = { 'diff' },
        -- Width of the code block background:
        --  block: width of the code block
        --  full:  full width of the window
        width = 'full',
        -- Amount of padding to add to the left of code blocks
        left_pad = 0,
        -- Amount of padding to add to the right of code blocks when width is 'block'
        right_pad = 0,
        -- Minimum width to use for code blocks when width is 'block'
        min_width = 0,
        -- Determins how the top / bottom of code block are rendered:
        --  thick: use the same highlight as the code body
        --  thin:  when lines are empty overlay the above & below icons
        border = 'thin',
        -- Used above code blocks for thin border
        above = '▄',
        -- Used below code blocks for thin border
        below = '▀',
        -- Highlight for code blocks
        highlight = 'RenderMarkdownCode',
        -- Highlight for inline code
        highlight_inline = 'RenderMarkdownCodeInline',
    },
    dash = {
        -- Turn on / off thematic break rendering
        enabled = true,
        -- Replaces '---'|'***'|'___'|'* * *' of 'thematic_break'
        -- The icon gets repeated across the window's width
        icon = '─',
        -- Width of the generated line:
        --  <integer>: a hard coded width value
        --  full:      full width of the window
        width = 'full',
        -- Highlight for the whole line generated from the icon
        highlight = 'RenderMarkdownDash',
    },
    bullet = {
        -- Turn on / off list bullet rendering
        enabled = true,
        -- Replaces '-'|'+'|'*' of 'list_item'
        -- How deeply nested the list is determines the 'level'
        -- The 'level' is used to index into the array using a cycle
        -- If the item is a 'checkbox' a conceal is used to hide the bullet instead
        icons = { '●', '○', '◆', '◇' },
        -- Padding to add to the left of bullet point
        left_pad = 0,
        -- Padding to add to the right of bullet point
        right_pad = 0,
        -- Highlight for the bullet icon
        highlight = 'RenderMarkdownBullet',
    },
    -- Checkboxes are a special instance of a 'list_item' that start with a 'shortcut_link'
    -- There are two special states for unchecked & checked defined in the markdown grammar
    checkbox = {
        -- Turn on / off checkbox state rendering
        enabled = true,
        unchecked = {
            -- Replaces '[ ]' of 'task_list_marker_unchecked'
            icon = '󰄱 ',
            -- Highlight for the unchecked icon
            highlight = 'RenderMarkdownUnchecked',
        },
        checked = {
            -- Replaces '[x]' of 'task_list_marker_checked'
            icon = '󰱒 ',
            -- Highligh for the checked icon
            highlight = 'RenderMarkdownChecked',
        },
        -- Define custom checkbox states, more involved as they are not part of the markdown grammar
        -- As a result this requires neovim >= 0.10.0 since it relies on 'inline' extmarks
        -- Can specify as many additional states as you like following the 'todo' pattern below
        --   The key in this case 'todo' is for healthcheck and to allow users to change its values
        --   'raw':       Matched against the raw text of a 'shortcut_link'
        --   'rendered':  Replaces the 'raw' value when rendering
        --   'highlight': Highlight for the 'rendered' icon
        custom = {
            todo = { raw = '[-]', rendered = '󰥔 ', highlight = 'RenderMarkdownTodo' },
        },
    },
    quote = {
        -- Turn on / off block quote & callout rendering