heynote – dedicated scratchpad for developers

heynote is a dedicated scratchpad for developers. It functions as a large, persistent text buffer divided into blocks where you can write down anything you like. The software works well for a Slack message you don’t want to accidentally send, a JSON response from an API you’re working with, notes from a meeting, your daily to-do list, etc.

The heynote buffer is divided into blocks, and each block can have its own Language set (e.g. JavaScript, JSON, Markdown, etc.). This gives you syntax highlighting and lets you auto-format that JSON response.

This is free and open source software.

Key Features

  • Persistent text buffer.
  • Block-based.
  • Each block has its own language set. Syntax highlighting for a wide range of languages:
    • C++, C#, Clojure, CSS, Erlang, Dart, Go, Groovy, HTML, Java, JavaScript, JSX, Kotlin, TypeScript, TOML, TSX, JSON, Lezer, Markdown, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, Shell, SQL, Swift, Vue, XML, YAML.
  • Language auto-detection.
  • Auto-formatting.
  • Math/Calculator mode – math blocks are calculator scratch pads that can be used for simple calculations. They also support variables, functions and unit conversions (including currencies).
  • Currency conversion.
  • Multi-cursor editing.
  • Dark and light themes.
  • Option to set a global hotkey to show/hide the app.
  • Default or Emacs-like key bindings.
  • Cross-platform support – runs under Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Website: heynote.com
Support: GitHub Code Repository
Developer: Jonatan Heyman
License: MIT License

heynote in action
Click image for full size

heynote is written in JavaScript. Learn JavaScript with our recommended free books and free tutorials.


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Read our verdict in the software roundup.


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