SeqLog

The SeqLog application functions as a native macOS outlining text processor that stores notes directly in Markdown files inside system folders. The program performs full-text search, references and backlinks by querying files in real time through an integrated search engine, without depending on databases or intermediate indexes. Synchronization between devices executes through embedded Git, automatically recording each modification and allowing conflict resolution directly from the editing interface.

★★★★★

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• Markdown files as single source. The program uses plain text files with CommonMark formatting and wikilinks organized into page and journal folders. Any external editor, shell script or coding agent can modify the same notes simultaneously, and SeqLog detects external edits automatically without requiring manual reloads.
• Index-free direct search. Full-text queries, backlinks, unlinked references and page name lookups process through a Rust interface with the ripgrep engine. The tool examines files on each request, eliminating the need to rebuild indexes or resolve inconsistencies in search results.
• Integrated Git version control. The synchronization layer operates through embedded libgit2, performing automatic commits when saving changes. The system allows pushing and pulling modifications from any remote repository, switching branches, resolving merge conflicts, reviewing commit history with inline diffs and reverting changes down to a single file level.
• Keyboard-first outlining editor. The editing environment prioritizes keyboard operation for indenting blocks, collapsing sections, making multiple selections and dragging elements to reorder them across pages. Every edit has a symmetric undo and redo operation that maintains document coherence at all times.
• Command palette and cross-search bar. The unified command panel provides access to pages, slash commands, favorited items and recent documents. The complementary search bar locates terms across all journal days, regardless of whether files are loaded in the interface or reside only on disk.
• High-performance rendering. Document rows draw directly with CoreText on a recycled list with absolute frame layout. This architecture allows vaults with thousands of journal days to scroll at full frame rate, stable during trackpad movement or mouse wheel input.
• Image drag-and-drop and built-in viewer. The program supports inserting images by dragging and dropping from the Finder, as well as pasting from the clipboard. An overlay image viewer displays visual content at full size, and code fences format code blocks delimited by triple backticks within the outline.
• Unlinked references detection. The analysis module detects mentions of existing page names that lack an explicit wiki link. The interface displays these occurrences in a side panel, offering the option to convert them into formal links with a single user confirmation.
• Tab system and reordering. Navigation between open documents is organized through tabs that can be dragged to modify their order within the window. The drag functionality also allows moving text blocks between different tabs, updating the corresponding files on disk.
• Signed and notarized updates. The update mechanism operates through the Sparkle framework, distributing digitally signed and Apple-notarized versions. The program collects no telemetry, requires no user accounts and depends on no cloud services to function.
• External edit compatibility. A file system watcher monitors the vault folder and applies detected changes to the active data model. Modifications made with Vim, Visual Studio Code or other tools reflect in the SeqLog interface without manual intervention or loss of cursor position.
• GitHub sign-in support. The application includes an authentication flow for GitHub that facilitates remote repository configuration. Once authorized, the system uses credentials for push and pull operations through Git, keeping notes synchronized between different macOS machines.

Development of SeqLog began in 2023 as a native macOS implementation written from scratch in Swift 6.2 with strict concurrency, combining SwiftUI and AppKit for the interface together with Rust for the search engine. The development team built the rendering foundation on CoreText and designed the version control layer around libgit2, avoiding dependencies on Electron or cross-platform libraries.

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