Markdown Preview Live preview of Markdown rendered as HTML with full formatting.

The tool works by utilizing the marked library to parse Markdown input into HTML, with the async option set to false to ensure synchronous rendering. This parsed HTML is then stored in a state variable using React's useState hook, which is updated whenever the user types or pastes new content into the textarea. The useMemo hook is used to optimize performance by only re-rendering the HTML when the input changes, rather than on every keystroke. The rendered HTML is displayed in a container with Tailwind Typography prose classes applied, including the prose-invert variant for readability on dark backgrounds.

When parsing Markdown, it uses the marked library's default syntax extensions, which include support for GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) tables and code blocks. If an error occurs during rendering, it catches the exception and displays a fallback HTML message indicating that there was an error rendering the Markdown. The use of React's dangerouslySetInnerHTML property allows it to set the innerHTML of the container element directly, which is necessary for displaying the rendered HTML content. The textarea used for input has a monospace font applied, making it suitable for editing Markdown code.

It also relies on React's useState and useMemo hooks to manage state and optimize performance, ensuring that the preview updates efficiently as the user edits the Markdown input. The use of Tailwind Typography classes ensures consistent styling across different elements, including headings, paragraphs, lists, and code blocks. By combining these technologies, it provides a fast and accurate way to preview Markdown content in real-time, making it easier for developers and writers to test and refine their formatting.

The tool's internal state is updated whenever the user interacts with the textarea, triggering a re-render of the component and an update to the displayed HTML. This process involves a series of DOM mutations, which are optimized by React's virtual DOM implementation to minimize the number of actual changes made to the browser's document object model. The result is a smooth and efficient preview experience that allows users to focus on editing their Markdown content without worrying about the underlying rendering process.