Braindump is a local-first digital garden application designed to help you capture, connect, and cultivate your thoughts, notes, and knowledge. It processes markdown files from your local file system, providing a fast and private way to build your personal knowledge base.

• Local-First Architecture: All your content stays on your device - no cloud dependencies or data lock-in
• Markdown-Powered: Write and organize your notes using familiar markdown syntax with frontmatter metadata
• Atomic Notes: Create and manage individual pieces of information that can be interconnected
• Wiki-Style Linking: Connect notes using [[Note Title]] syntax with automatic backlink generation
• Flexible Organization: Structure your knowledge using folders, tags, and content types
• Graph Visualization: Visualize connections between your notes in an interactive graph view
• Responsive Design: Access and manage your digital garden across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices
• Customizable Experience:
  • Theme Toggle: Switch between light and dark modes
  • Font Selection: Choose from various fonts (Geist Sans, Geist Mono, Satoshi, Kalam, Indie Flower, Lancelot, Cormorant Upright, Nitti)
• Command Palette: Quickly search and navigate your content using ⌘K (or Ctrl+K)
• Math Support: Render mathematical equations using KaTeX
• Diagram Support: Create diagrams using Mermaid syntax
• Fast Performance: No network requests - everything runs locally

1. Clone or fork this repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd braindump
   npm install

2. Add your content:

   • Create markdown files in the Content/ directory
   • Follow the frontmatter format (see example below)
   • Organize files in folders as needed

3. Run the application:

   npm run dev

4. Start writing and linking your notes!

Your content lives in the Content/ directory at the root of the project:

Content/
├── README.md                    # Overview of your content
├── zettels/                     # Atomic notes and ideas
│   ├── atomic-thinking.md
│   └── zettelkasten-method.md
├── wikis/                       # Comprehensive guides
│   ├── programming/
│   │   └── javascript-fundamentals.md
│   └── knowledge-management/
│       └── digital-gardens.md
├── topics/                      # Subject-specific content
│   └── personal-knowledge-management.md
└── logs/                        # Daily notes and journals
    └── 2025-01-20.md

Each markdown file should include frontmatter with metadata:

---
id: "unique-identifier"
title: "Your Note Title"
path: "folder/filename"
type: "note"
tags: ["tag1", "tag2", "tag3"]
created: "2025-01-20"
lastUpdated: "2025-01-20"
---

# Your Content Here

Write your markdown content below the frontmatter.

You can link to other notes using [[Note Title]] syntax.

• note: General notes and observations
• zettel: Atomic ideas in Zettelkasten style
• topic: Comprehensive subject guides
• glossary_term: Definitions and explanations
• log: Time-based entries and journals
• concept: Abstract ideas and theories
• folder: Organizational containers (automatically created)

Connect your notes using [[Note Title]] syntax. Braindump will automatically:

• Resolve links to the correct files
• Generate backlinks for each note
• Display related content suggestions

Organize and discover content using tags:

• Add tags to frontmatter: tags: ["productivity", "tools"]
• View all tags at /tags
• Filter content by tag
• Discover related notes through shared tags

Visit /graph to see your knowledge network:

• Visual representation of note connections
• Interactive exploration of relationships
• Based on wiki links and shared tags

Enhanced content with:

• KaTeX math rendering: $$E = mc^2$$
• Mermaid diagrams: Create flowcharts, graphs, and more
• Code syntax highlighting: Multiple language support

• Frontend: React, TypeScript, Vite
• Styling: Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui
• Routing: React Router
• Icons: Lucide React
• Content Processing: Gray Matter (frontmatter parsing)
• Graph Visualization: React Flow
• Markdown Parsing: react-markdown with plugins
• Math Rendering: KaTeX
• Diagram Rendering: Mermaid

Since Braindump is local-first, you can deploy it anywhere:

• Vercel (recommended): Connect your GitHub repository
• Netlify: Deploy from Git with automatic builds
• GitHub Pages: Host directly from your repository
• Your own server: Build and serve the static files

# Build for production
npm run build

# Serve the dist folder with any static file server
npx serve dist

• Modify src/index.css for global styles
• Update Tailwind configuration in tailwind.config.ts
• Customize component styles in src/components/

• Extend src/services/contentService.ts for custom parsing
• Add new content types in src/types/content.ts
• Customize frontmatter handling

• Add new pages in src/pages/
• Create custom components in src/components/
• Extend the graph visualization logic

Braindump is designed with privacy in mind:

• No external dependencies for core functionality
• No analytics or tracking by default
• Full data ownership - your content never leaves your control
• No account required - just clone and run
• Offline capable - works without internet connection

Contributions are welcome! To contribute:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Make your changes and test thoroughly
4. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
5. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
6. Open a Pull Request

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.

• Documentation: Visit /docs in your running application
• Issues: Report bugs or request features on GitHub
• Discussions: Share ideas and get help in GitHub Discussions

Happy Knowledge Gardening! 🌱🧠

Start building your personal knowledge network today with Braindump's local-first approach to digital gardening.