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Desktop app

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Prettify runs as a web app and as a native desktop app. The desktop app opens files from your file manager, adds native menus, and works offline. macOS comes first; Windows and Linux builds are also available. This page covers installing and using the desktop app, and installing the web app.

Install

Download the app from /download. The page detects your platform and shows the right build first.

PlatformFileRequirements
macOS (Apple Silicon).dmg (aarch64)macOS 10.15+
macOS (Intel).dmg (x64)macOS 10.15+
Windows.msiWindows 10+
Linux.debUbuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+
Linux.AppImageglibc 2.31+

On macOS, open the .dmg and drag Prettify to your Applications folder. The macOS app is signed and notarized, so it opens with no Gatekeeper warning.

On macOS you can also install with Homebrew:

brew install --cask alexitaylor/tap/prettify

On Windows, run the .msi installer. Windows builds are unsigned for now, so SmartScreen may warn. Select More info, then Run anyway.

On Linux, open the .deb with your software center, or install the .AppImage after you make it executable.

Open files from your file manager

The desktop app registers as an editor for common data files. Double-click a file to open it in Prettify, or use Open with. The registered types are JSON (.json, .jsonc, .geojson), YAML (.yaml, .yml), CSV and TSV (.csv, .tsv), XML (.xml, .xhtml, .xsl, .xslt), Mermaid (.mmd, .mermaid), Markdown (.md, .markdown), MDX (.mdx), HTML (.html, .htm), and SVG (.svg). HTML and SVG open as an alternate viewer, so your browser and your image viewer stay the default for those files. An SVG opens on the Image view.

A single file over 100 MB does not open. Prettify is a data viewer, not a big-file editor.

Reload when the file changes

The desktop app watches each file you open from disk. When another program changes the file, for example a build that writes a new report or a log that grows, the tab reloads:

  • If you have not edited the tab, it reloads at once and shows Reloaded with the file name. A file that only grows at the end, such as a log, updates without a message.
  • If you have edits, Prettify asks first. Select Reload to load the file, or close the message to keep your edits. History keeps the earlier text either way. An HTML or SVG file over 5 MB is not in History, so Reload removes its edits.
  • If the file is moved or deleted, the tab keeps its content and stops watching.

A reload waits until the file is valid again, so a file that another program is still writing does not show an error.

Native menus and shortcuts

The desktop app has native menus. The menu items and their shortcuts are:

MenuItemShortcut
FileNewCmd+N (Mac) / Ctrl+N (Windows, Linux)
FileOpen…Cmd+O (Mac) / Ctrl+O (Windows, Linux)
FileSave As…Cmd+Shift+S (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+S (Windows, Linux)
EditFind…Cmd+F (Mac) / Ctrl+F (Windows, Linux)
ViewToggle ThemeCmd+D (Mac) / Ctrl+D (Windows, Linux)

The View menu also switches to Tree View, Raw View, Table View, and Diagram View. On Linux, Quit is Ctrl+Q and About Prettify is under Help.

See Keyboard shortcuts for the full list.

Automatic updates

The desktop app updates itself. It checks in the background and installs updates for you.

To check now, open Settings and select Check for updates. Settings shows the current version and whether you are up to date.

Command line tool (macOS)

The macOS app bundles a prettify command. Homebrew adds it for you. For a direct download, Settings shows one command to link it.

With the command linked, you can send data to Prettify from a terminal:

curl -s <url> | prettify
prettify data.json

To follow a stream, such as a log that keeps growing, add --follow. Prettify opens when the first line arrives, and the tab updates as more lines come in. Press Ctrl+C in the terminal to stop. The input is read as JSONL unless you set --format.

tail -f app.log | prettify --follow
kubectl logs -f my-pod | prettify --follow --format jsonl

A growing file adds no History version for each new line. History keeps a version when the text changes in another way.

Offline use

The desktop app works offline. It parses, edits, and queries on your device.

On the desktop app, Load from URL fetches in the background process, which is not bound by browser CORS rules. It refuses private and local addresses.

Install the web app (PWA)

The web app at https://prettify.tools is a Progressive Web App. Your browser offers an option to install it. After your first visit, it works offline.

Differences from the web app

  • PDF export of Markdown and MDX is web only. The desktop app offers HTML export.
  • Only the desktop app reloads a file when it changes on disk. A browser cannot watch files.
  • Load from URL fetches differently. The web app fetches in the browser and can use a consented proxy; the desktop app fetches in the background process. See Troubleshooting.