mdcat

mdcat [OPTIONS] [FILE...]

FILE...
    One or more Markdown files to render. If no files are specified, mdcat reads from standard input (stdin).

-h, --help
    Displays a comprehensive help message and exits.

-V, --version
    Prints the version information of mdcat and exits.

-t , --text-width
    Sets the maximum width for text wrapping. Content will be wrapped to fit within this column limit.

-p, --pager
    Forces mdcat to pipe its output through a pager program, typically less -R, allowing for scrolling and searching.

-P, --no-pager
    Prevents mdcat from automatically piping its output to a pager, even if it would normally do so.

-s, --sixel
    Forces rendering of images using the Sixel graphics protocol. This requires a Sixel-compatible terminal emulator.

-i, --iterm2
    Forces rendering of images using the iTerm2 inline image protocol. This requires iTerm2 or a compatible terminal.

-c, --colored
    Forces mdcat to produce colored output, even if it detects that the terminal might not support it.

-C, --no-colored
    Disables all colored output, rendering the Markdown as plain text with basic formatting.

-l, --line-numbers
    Displays line numbers alongside the rendered Markdown content.

--theme
    Specifies the syntax highlighting theme to use for code blocks within the Markdown file. Common themes include 'Solarized (light/dark)', 'Monokai', etc.

--detect-pager
    Automatically detects if the output should be piped to a pager. This is the default behavior.

--detect-sixel
    Automatically detects if the current terminal supports Sixel graphics. This is the default behavior for Sixel image rendering.

--detect-iterm2
    Automatically detects if the current terminal supports iTerm2 inline images. This is the default behavior for iTerm2 image rendering.

mdcat is a command-line utility designed to render Markdown files directly in your terminal emulator. Unlike traditional text viewers like cat or less, mdcat interprets the Markdown syntax and applies rich formatting using ANSI escape codes. This includes bold and italic text, headers, lists, code blocks with syntax highlighting, and even images (if your terminal supports protocols like Sixel or iTerm2 inline images). It aims to provide a pleasant and highly readable experience for viewing documentation, READMEs, or notes written in Markdown without ever leaving the command line. Its intelligent handling of text wrapping, colors, and optional image rendering makes it an indispensable tool for developers and users who frequently interact with Markdown content in their terminal environment.

• Image rendering capabilities (Sixel, iTerm2) are highly dependent on the features supported by your specific terminal emulator. Without proper support, images will either not appear or be rendered as plain text.
• mdcat's visual output can be affected by your terminal's color scheme, font configuration, and overall ANSI escape code compatibility.
• While mdcat supports a wide range of Markdown features, some highly specific or custom Markdown extensions might not be rendered perfectly.

A standout feature of mdcat is its ability to render images directly within the terminal, provided the terminal supports advanced graphics protocols like Sixel or iTerm2 inline images. This transforms the terminal viewing experience from plain text to a rich, multimedia display for Markdown documents containing visuals.

mdcat automatically applies syntax highlighting to code blocks found within Markdown files. This dramatically improves the readability of code snippets, making it easier to review scripts, configuration files, or programming examples directly in the terminal without needing an external editor.

Users can customize mdcat's behavior and appearance through configuration files, typically located at ~/.config/mdcat/mdcat.toml. This allows for setting default themes, image rendering preferences, text width, and other options to tailor the viewing experience to individual needs.

mdcat is a relatively modern command-line utility, implemented in Rust, a language known for its performance and safety. It emerged to fill a niche for a dedicated, high-quality Markdown viewer for terminals, offering a more visually appealing and feature-rich experience than merely piping Markdown through generic text viewers or complex converters. Its development focuses on accurate rendering, good performance, and robust handling of various terminal features, making it a popular choice in the Rust CLI ecosystem.

cat(1), less(1), pandoc(1), glow(1)