# Quickstart

> Open your first file and get comfortable with [tabs](01-features/02-navigation.md#tabs), [history](01-features/02-navigation.md#history), the [minimap](01-features/04-minimap.md), and the [library](01-features/03-library.md) — a few minutes, start to finish.

There's nothing to set up. No account, no folder to designate, no plugins to choose. Point Leaftext at a file you already have and start reading. This page walks the shortest useful path: open a file, read it, move around, and come back to it later.

> [!NOTE]
> Not installed yet? [Install it first](02-installation.md#install) — three steps per platform. On a Mac, macOS refuses the first launch until you [let it through once](02-installation.md#mac-blocks-the-first-launch).

## Start

1. Press `Ctrl+O` on Windows or `Cmd+O` on macOS.
2. Pick any `.md`, `.xml`, `.json`, `.yaml`, or `.eml` file.
3. Scroll the document.
4. Use the minimap on the right to jump.
5. Open another file to create a new tab.

## Flow

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    A[Launch Leaftext] --> B[Open a .md, .xml, .json, .yaml, or .eml file]
    B --> C[Read in main pane]
    C --> D[Jump with minimap]
    C --> E[Open another file]
    E --> F[New tab]
    F --> G[Back / Forward keeps history per tab]
```

## Open

| Method | How |
| --- | --- |
| Keyboard | `Ctrl+O` / `Cmd+O` |
| Drag and drop | Drop a `.md`, `.xml`, `.json`, `.yaml`, or `.eml` file onto the window |
| Recent files | Click a file on the no-file home screen |
| Command line / Open with | Launch Leaftext with a file path |
| Start a blank one | The **+** in the app bar, or **New document** on the home screen — see [Editing](01-features/07-editing.md#new-document) |

> [!TIP]
> Recent files keeps the last 8 opened files, so reopening a doc is usually one click.

## UI

| Area | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Tab bar | Keeps multiple documents open |
| Main reader | Shows the rendered Markdown, [XML](01-features/01-rendering.md#xml), [JSON/YAML](01-features/01-rendering.md#data-files-json-and-yaml), or [email](01-features/01-rendering.md#email-eml) |
| Outline | A collapsed list of the document's headings at the top, labeled with the document's line count, for jumping to a section |
| Minimap | Shows the whole document and your current viewport |
| Back / Forward | Moves through document and scroll history |
| Code view | Toggles the page to its raw, editable source — see [Editing](01-features/07-editing.md) |
| Typing help | The wand beside the code view: Monaco's IntelliSense over your notes — see [Typing help](01-features/07-editing.md#typing-help) |
| New document | The **+** beside Open, for a blank page you can type into straight away |
| Save | A green button that appears when the source has [unsaved edits](01-features/07-editing.md#save) |
| Library pane | Browse a folder, [search](01-features/03-library.md#search) a [vault](01-features/03-library.md#vaults)'s text, and [map](01-features/03-library.md#graph) how its documents link |

## Basics

### New tab

Press `Ctrl+O` / `Cmd+O` again. Leaftext opens the next file in a new tab instead of replacing the current one.

### Jump

Click a heading in the document or click a spot in the minimap. That jump is added to scroll history, so Back takes you to the previous reading position.

### History

| Action | Windows | macOS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Back | `Alt+Left` | `Cmd+Left` |
| Forward | `Alt+Right` | `Cmd+Right` |
| Close tab | `Ctrl+W` | `Cmd+W` |
| Save ([unsaved edits](01-features/07-editing.md#save)) | `Ctrl+S` | `Cmd+S` |
| [Undo](01-features/07-editing.md#undo) the last edit | `Ctrl+Z` | `Cmd+Z` |
| [Bold](01-features/07-editing.md#the-format-bar) the highlighted words | `Ctrl+B` | `Cmd+B` |
| [Italic](01-features/07-editing.md#the-format-bar) the highlighted words | `Ctrl+I` | `Cmd+I` |
| [Link](01-features/07-editing.md#the-format-bar) the highlighted words | `Ctrl+K` | `Cmd+K` |
| Select the page | `Ctrl+A` | `Cmd+A` |

Mouse side buttons also trigger Back and Forward on Windows.

### Edit

Click into any sentence and type — the rendered page [edits in place](01-features/07-editing.md#inline-editing-the-reading-view), checkboxes toggle, and the green **Save** button appears. Highlight words for a [format bar](01-features/07-editing.md#the-format-bar), or use the handle and plus in the left [margin](01-features/07-editing.md#the-block-gutter) to drag a block or [add one](01-features/07-editing.md#adding-a-block). For the raw source instead, click the code-brackets button left of Settings. To start from nothing, press the **+** in the app bar for a [new document](01-features/07-editing.md#new-document); its first save asks where to put it. The [Editing](01-features/07-editing.md) page covers the whole flow.

### Reopen

Close the last tab and you will land on the no-file view again, where recent files are listed for quick reopening.

## Demo

Save this as `demo.md` and open it:

~~~md
# Demo

## Checklist

- [x] Open file
- [ ] Read docs

> [!NOTE]
> This is a callout.

```rust
fn main() {
    println!("Leaftext");
}
```
~~~

That single file lets you verify headings, task lists, callouts, and syntax highlighting.

## Next

- [Rendering](01-features/01-rendering.md) for supported syntax and examples
- [Navigation](01-features/02-navigation.md) for tabs, history, and live reload
- [Library](01-features/03-library.md) for [vaults](01-features/03-library.md#vaults), search, and [GitHub sync](01-features/03-library.md#github-sync)