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This guide will help you set up MD Viewer for local development.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:
  • Node.js (version 18 or higher recommended)
  • npm (comes with Node.js)

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Getting started

1

Clone the repository

Clone the MD Viewer repository to your local machine:
git clone https://github.com/anuragvishwa/md-viewer.git
cd md-viewer
2

Install dependencies

Install all required dependencies using npm:
npm install
This will install all dependencies listed in package.json, including:
  • React 19 and React DOM
  • Vite for build tooling
  • react-markdown and remark-gfm for markdown rendering
  • Mermaid for diagram support
  • lucide-react for icons
3

Start the development server

Run the development server with hot module replacement (HMR):
npm run dev
The application will be available at http://localhost:5173 by default. The page will automatically reload when you make changes to the source code.

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Available scripts

MD Viewer includes several npm scripts for development and production: 
npm run dev

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Script details

  • npm run dev: Starts the Vite development server with hot module replacement
  • npm run build: Creates an optimized production build in the dist folder
  • npm run preview: Previews the production build locally before deployment
  • npm run lint: Runs ESLint to check for code quality issues

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Development workflow

  1. Make your changes in the src directory
  2. The development server will automatically reload
  3. Run npm run lint to check for linting errors
  4. Test your changes thoroughly
  5. Build the project with npm run build to ensure it compiles successfully
The development server uses Vite, which provides extremely fast hot module replacement and build times.

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Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:
  • Port already in use: Vite will automatically try the next available port if 5173 is occupied
  • Module not found errors: Try deleting node_modules and running npm install again
  • Build fails: Ensure you’re using a compatible Node.js version (18 or higher)

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