DiffX – Next-Generation Extensible Diff Format (diffx.org)

We have plenty of Markdown editors. And too many overwhelming to-do apps. But few tools combine both in a way that’s lightweight and focused. I thought that all I need is a single page to organize today. So I built Ephe.

It uses CodeMirror v6, React(v19, React Compiler) and Vite with rolldown.

## What makes it different

“Ephe” comes from ephemeral. The main goal is to organize what you need to do today. It isn’t for teams. It’s a quiet space for your own priorities.

Give it a spin if that sounds useful to you.

Comments (28)

Lyngbakr · 7h ago

I'm excited to give this a try, as I think I'm the target audience. I tried using Helix[0] (my editor of choice) with mpls[1], but it didn't quite scratch the itch. These days, I use a sturdy notebook and cheap (but awesome!) fountain pen, because I just need something simple. No bells. No whistles. This seems ideal!

[0]https://helix-editor.com/ [1]https://github.com/mhersson/mpls

notnmeyer · 6h ago

shameless plug, but if you’re looking for a daily note taking thing, take a look at https://github.com/notnmeyer/daylog-cli. it’s a cli tool for daily task tracking. edits in $EDITOR (i use helix) and renders markdown in the terminal.

i use it to take notes during the day at work and then use the notes for our standup.

unvalley · 4h ago

Thank you! Editors like Helix are a good choice. I just prefer GUIs, so I built one in the browser. Hope you’ll give it a try!

marcuskaz · 4h ago

Here's a dead simple note "app" - it's a single html file using CSS and JavaScript, a whopping 62 lines. Uses content editable and localStorage.

Demo: https://mkaz.github.io/browser-pad/

Source: https://github.com/mkaz/browser-pad/ - though I suppose you can just view source on demo too

marcuskaz · 4h ago

You can also create a writing space in your browser using a data URL, paste the following into your address bar and boom! instant editor. You can bookmark it and will always be available.

``` data:text/html, <html contenteditable> ```

Plus bonus ephemeral, close the tab and your notes are gone with them. Here's an old post with examples using data URL adding style: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6005295

unvalley · 4h ago

That works too, for sure. I’ve paid special attention to certain features like how task creation works in Markdown with Ephe. Would love for you to give it a try.

marcuskaz · 4h ago

For sure, yours is far more elegant and nice to use.

Mine takes minimalism to an extreme :-)

unvalley · 2h ago

Thank you, I was surprised at your quick ship:)

keb_ · 4h ago

Nice one! Although it doesn't seem to save newlines on refresh.

marcuskaz · 4h ago

You're right, fixed. Switched it to use innerHTML.

spankibalt · 6h ago

Annoying feature bitch 'n' beg:

"Frictionless" text hoisting (incl. hoist-to-view document window capability) à la Symantec's GrandView (DOS) [1] is a must for me in a modern tool of this type. Table manipulation à la org-mode would be nice to have, text template import and export (e. g. screenwriting formats) a bonus. But lean and mean general-purpose text editors focusing on non-coding creators are just not a thing anymore.

Anyway, congratulations and good luck!

1. [https://welcometosherwood.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/grandview...]

unvalley · 4h ago

Thank you, I’m definitely aiming to keep making it better. Gotta admit never heard of GrandView or org-mode-style tools before. I will look them up. And yeah, it’s surprisingly hard to find tools that just let you write raw Markdown.

spankibalt · 3h ago

Friendly words of advice: don't get too carried away with this, especially org-mode, a massive black hole of features, nearly all of them completely irrelevant for a small, non-coder focused datatool. For me, org-mode's standout feature is just its ability to let you edit tables in a very neat fashion. And GrandView's outlining elegance, especially its text-hoisting behavior, is still completely and utterly unmatched. After 35 years! That's why I still use it. The OSF [1] is another good place to pick some brains, if you don't already know.

1. [https://www.outlinersoftware.com]

unvalley · 2h ago

Yeah, one of Ephe’s selling points is actually how few features it has. Finding that balance is fun, so I’ll keep exploring. Markdown really isn’t great for editing tables though, totally agree. Once I wrap up some work, I’ll take a closer look at outlining tools too. Thanks again!

shlomo_z · 1h ago

Can someone recommend something like this, but where my notes are published online (on my domain)?

SilverServer · 1h ago

I self host this

https://github.com/chroxify/haptic Pretty neat, mind the fact that is local based, so if you log from another device you will not have persistence

submeta · 2h ago

Reminds me of TaskPaper. But markdown is ubiquitously available. So yeah, makes sense.

unvalley · 1h ago

Thank you! To be honest, I didn't know much about taskpaper but I have seen it. The concept is similar. If there are any good features, I'd like to refer to them.

ctkhn · 6h ago

It looks nice and I like the general idea, but what's the difference between this and a todos folder in joplin or any existing notes app? That's what I use personally and at work I do the same thing with onenote (because of mega enterprise install restrictiveness) and a new note page every day seems to do essentially what this app offers.

unvalley · 4h ago

Thank you, I’ve written a bit about the thinking behind this app in the form of a short guide: https://github.com/unvalley/ephe/blob/main/.github/guide.md

I think the difference in philosophy shows up in the feature set too. For example, Ephe currently only gives you a single page because the focus is on today. If there are any features you find essential in apps like Joplin but missing in Ephe, I’d love to hear. I want to keep improving it.

dhruv3006 · 1h ago

Good one!

unvalley · 27m ago

Thank you:)

bryanhogan · 5h ago

I have been using Logseq [1] for this. It displays all days in a list view that you can scroll down, which I prefer.

[1]: https://logseq.com/

unvalley · 4h ago

I think the all days, you mean a list of past documents In Ephe, there’s only one page, so the only way to look back is through snapshots. That’s maybe part of the philosophy behind the app. Anyway, I’ll take another look at Logseq. Thank you

jonahx · 3h ago

It looks similar to Obsidian. Are there significant advantages?

unvalley · 2h ago

Great question. At a glance, it might look like Obsidian and logseq (PKM) — but Ephe is less features and simpler. No login. No install. No plugin system. No even multiple documents. We just open the page and write. It’s intentionally minimal — one page, focused on just today. That focus is what sets it apart.

chthonicdaemon · 2h ago

Logseq is block-based while Obsidian is more focused on pages. If you want to build something like Wikipedia, Obsidian fits that well. If you're more used to notion and you think more in bullets, Logseq could be a better fit.

spankibalt · 2h ago

Yes. Obsidian resembles the classic desktop wiki while Logseq is more suitable for outlining. If the block-based approach to the problem is to your taste, that is.