DEV-TOOLSApril 10, 20261 min read13 views

Show HN: A WYSIWYG word processor in Python

MiniWord is a minimal, Python-based word processor that offers a real WYSIWYG experience without the overhead of a web browser. It features a lightweight architecture, Markdown support, and a human-readable file format ideal for version control.

MiniWord

A minimal word processor in python. In development but already great.

Key Aspects

Real WYSIWYG editing (no HTML layer, no embedded browser)
Lightweight and fast startup
Minimal dependencies (wxPython + Cairo)
Clean, simple file format (human-readable, diff-friendly, git-friendly, AI-friendly)
Good Markdown support
Extensible via Python-plugins

Dependencies

Miniword is developed under Linux but should run under Windows and Mac as well.

The following dependencies are required:

Python >= 3.9
wxPython >= 4.0
Cairo >= 1.2

On Debian all dependencies are installed by

sudo apt install python3-wxgtk4.0 python3-cairo

Testing

Running miniword without installation is possible:

cd miniword
python -m miniword

Install

Install all dependencies. Then

cd miniword
pip install .

If you want to install the plugins (you probably will)

mkdir -p ~/.miniword/plugins
cp examples/*.py ~/.miniword/plugins

If you want to register MiniWord to the desktop (you probably will)

cp miniword/icons/miniword.svg ~/.local/share/icons/
cp miniword.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 – see LICENSE for details. Contact me if you need something else.

Source: Hacker News

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