openpad 1.0.0

Terminal-based note-taking app for computer science students

OpenPad

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A terminal-based note-taking application designed for computer science students. Write and organize your programming notes, lecture materials, and code snippets in Markdown - all from the comfort of your terminal.

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Current Version: 1.2 (2026-04-19)

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Features

• Folder Organization - Organize notes into folders for different subjects (Databases, Linux, Java, etc.)
• Notes Sorted by Creation Date - Notes inside folders are now sorted by their creation date for easier chronological navigation
• Markdown Support - Write notes in Markdown with headers, lists, code blocks, and more
• Syntax Highlighting - Code blocks in your notes support syntax highlighting for 20+ languages
• 12 Built-in Themes - Choose from popular themes like Tokyo Night, Catppuccin, Gruvbox, Nord, and more
• Full-Text Search - Instantly search across all your notes by title or content
• Auto-Save - Your changes are saved automatically as you type
• Google Calendar Integration - View your calendar and click on any date to see events for that day
• Lightweight - Built with Python and Textual, runs in any terminal with true color support
• Secure Publishing - .gitignore is preconfigured to exclude credentials and Python cache files

Requirements

• Python 3.10 or higher - Required for the modern type annotations used in the code
• Terminal with true color support - Most modern terminals (iTerm2, Windows Terminal, Alacritty, GNOME Terminal) support this
• Operating System - Linux, macOS, or Windows (via WSL or Windows Terminal)

To check your Python version:

python3 --version

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Windows Users

OpenPad works great on Windows! You have two main options:

1. Windows Terminal (Native)

• Install Windows Terminal from the Microsoft Store (recommended)
• Install Python 3.10+ from python.org
• Open Windows Terminal and run the installation steps as shown above
• Run the app with python main.py

2. WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)

• Install WSL and a Linux distribution (e.g., Ubuntu)
• Open your WSL terminal
• Follow the Linux installation steps above
• Run the app with python3 main.py

Tips:

• For best appearance, use Windows Terminal or a modern terminal emulator with true color support
• If you see color or layout issues, try resizing your terminal or using a different font
• If you have both python and python3 installed, use the one that matches your Python 3.10+ installation

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Installation

1. Clone or download this repository

   git clone <your-repo-url>
   cd openpad-full
   

2. Install dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

3. Run OpenPad

   python main.py
   

Key Bindings

Key	Action
←/→/↑/↓	Navigate calendar and notes
Mouse click (calendar)	Select a date in the calendar
n	Create a new note
ctrl+n	Create a new folder
e	Toggle edit mode (edit/view)

Security & Publishing

Your .gitignore is set up to exclude sensitive files:

• credentials.json (API keys)
• __pycache__/, *.pyc (Python cache)
• .env, .vscode/, .DS_Store, Thumbs.db

This ensures you can safely publish your repository without exposing secrets or unnecessary files.

Calendar Integration

OpenPad integrates with Google Calendar. You can:

• Open the calendar modal (ctrl+c or via menu)
• Click any date to view events for that day
• Use arrow keys to navigate months and days

Your Google API credentials are stored in credentials.json (excluded from git). | d | Delete the selected note | | ctrl+f | Search all notes | | ctrl+t | Open theme picker | | escape | Exit edit mode (switch to view mode) | | q | Quit OpenPad |

Getting Started

Creating Your First Note

1. Press n to create a new note
2. Enter a name for your note (e.g., "Python Basics")
3. The note opens in edit mode - start typing!

Writing Markdown Notes

OpenPad supports standard Markdown syntax. Here are some examples:

# Heading 1
## Heading 2

- Bullet point 1
- Bullet point 2

1. Numbered item 1
2. Numbered item 2

**Bold text** and *italic text*

Inline code: `print("Hello World")`

Code block with syntax highlighting:
```python
def greet(name):
    return f"Hello, {name}!"

print(greet("Student"))

### Organizing Notes into Folders

1. Press `ctrl+n` to create a new folder
2. Enter a folder name (e.g., "DataStructures", "Algorithms", "WebDev")
3. Select the folder in the sidebar, then press `n` to create a note inside it

### Searching Notes

1. Press `ctrl+f` to open the search modal
2. Type your search query
3. Results show matching notes with content snippets
4. Press `enter` to open a selected note

### Changing Themes

1. Press `ctrl+t` to open the theme picker
2. Use `up/down` arrow keys to navigate
3. Press `enter` to select a theme
4. Press `escape` to cancel

Your theme preference is saved automatically and persists between sessions.

## Data Storage

Your notes and settings are stored in your home directory:

| File/Directory         | Description                                      |
|------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
| `~/.openpad/notes/`    | Your notes (Markdown files organized in folders) |
| `~/.openpad/meta.json` | User preferences (selected theme)                |

### Sample Notes

On first run, OpenPad creates sample notes to help you get started:
- **Database/** - Lesson I, Lesson II, Lesson III
- **Linux/** - Commands
- **Java/** - Lesson I through IV

Feel free to delete or modify these!

## Available Themes

| Theme                | Description                   |
|----------------------|-------------------------------|
| opencode             | OpenCode's default dark theme |
| tokyonight           | Deep blue/purple nights       |
| everforest           | Warm green forest tones       |
| ayu                  | Orange & teal on deep dark    |
| catppuccin           | Soft pastel dark              |
| catppuccin-macchiato | Darker catppuccin variant     |
| gruvbox              | Retro warm brown & yellow     |
| kanagawa             | Japanese ink-inspired blues   |
| nord                 | Arctic cold blue-grey         |
| matrix               | Hacker green on black         |
| one-dark             | Atom One Dark                 |

## For Computer Science Students

OpenPad is designed with CS students in mind:

- **Lecture Notes** - Create folders for each course (e.g., "CS101", "DataStructures", "OperatingSystems")
- **Code References** - Store code snippets with syntax highlighting
- **Quick Access** - Search lets you find that one command or concept instantly
- **Markdown** - Practice writing documentation in Markdown - a skill you'll use professionally
- **Lightweight** - No electron bloat, runs in tmux/screen if needed
- **Portable** - Your notes are just Markdown files - open them in any editor

### Example Use Cases

- **Database Class**: Store SQL queries, schema designs, and normalization notes
- **Linux Administration**: Keep a cheat sheet of common commands
- **Programming Languages**: Document syntax, common patterns, and gotchas
- **Algorithms**: Write pseudocode and analyze time complexity

## Troubleshooting

### Terminal Colors Look Wrong

Ensure your terminal supports true color (24-bit). Most modern terminals do by default. If colors look washed out or incorrect:

```bash
# Check if your terminal reports true color support
echo $TERM
# Should show: xterm-256color or similar

Permission Errors

If you encounter permission errors when saving notes:

ls -la ~/.openpad/
# Check that the directory is owned by your user

Python Version Error

If you see a syntax error, check your Python version:

python3 --version
# Must be 3.10 or higher

To upgrade Python on Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3.11

License

MIT License - Feel free to use, modify, and distribute as needed.

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Built with Textual - a TUI framework for Python.