(Cover photo by Johnny Briggs on Unsplash)
I love Markdown, this post is written using Markdown formatting. AI is very skilled in Markdown formatting.
But, there's a but...
When you try to read it in a console with less or cat command and no colors and formatting support, it becomes a very unpleasant experience.
I live in the terminal, 80% of my digital time is in the OSX Terminal or Solus OS bash. Even now I'm using the Helix editor to write this post using... Markdown formatting (sorry, dev.to supports Markdown).
So, less and cat commands are my oxygen when it's time to read something.
The need of satisfying reading experience
Why not having the same experience of reading on paper, but in the terminal or any other reading device that doesn't support colors, and formatting?
This idea wandering in my head for a long time, sometimes it was underneath tons of thoughts, sometimes it was crystal clear.
Everything changed when I was reading "Introduction to Algebra", written by A.I. Kostrikin.
This book, although re-printed several times during the years, comes with the same formatting and pagination from 1982. Except the titles of the chapters, it has the same typewriter formatting of late 70s. And its formatting is a pleasure to read.
So, why not reproducing it?
A new formatting specification is born!
For this reason, I've created the "typewriter" formatting spec. And published it in form of git gist (https://gist.github.com/ccarcaci/937675adf71ae10c8ffa20c37ddf97d4).
How to work with it?
This gist is public and can be accessed by AI agents. Now, whenever I have an important Markdown document I want to open in a console, I can ask claude to reference the gist and transform it into typewritten format.
And it works, you can find this exact article re-formatted from Markdown with a single pass and no revision using claude.
Or, worth to mention, when I need to write something, I can follow the typewriter specs. The specs are organised in a way that are easy to memorise and natural to use.
Main traits
Fixed width
The spec comes with fixed number of columns that could be used. The number of columns is variable from document to document, and claude is smart enough to detect it. In the top of the document is specified the number of column needed to properly see it.
So, word wrapping on multiple lines are back to be done manually, for the sake of improved and immediate readability.
Spaces as fundamental traits
Tables, paragraphs, quotes, and many others elements are based on spaces. Spaces are a basic characteristic of typewriters and are rendered everywhere. A wise use of spaces could provide high grade of readability and expressiveness.
For example, tables are formatted with a wise use of spaces.
-------------------------
ID NAME ROLE NOTE
-------------------------
1 ALICE ENGINEER PRIMARY
CONTACT
2 BOB PILOT BACKUP
-------------------------
Choices consistency
The spec enforces consistency on choices.
For example: paragraphs should always follow the same decision, if the writer (or AI) decided to use one empty line, be stick with it along the entire document.
Conclusion
(Stupid images like this cannot be included in typewritten format. Paradox of life)
Appendix
This article as typewriter format:
Number of horizontal cells: 72
Paragraphs numbering style: ARABIC
§ READING MARKDOWN IN THE TERMINAL
(FIGURE 1. - COVER PHOTO BY JOHNNY BRIGGS (1) ON UNSPLASH (2))
I love Markdown, this post is written using Markdown formatting. AI
is very skilled in Markdown formatting.
But, there's a but...
When you try to read it in a console with "less" or "cat" command
and no colors and formatting support, it becomes a very unpleasant
experience.
I live in the terminal, 80% of my digital time is in the OSX
Terminal or Solus OS bash. Even now I'm using the Helix editor to
write this post using... Markdown formatting (sorry, dev.to
supports Markdown).
So, "less" and "cat" commands are my oxygen when it's time to read
something.
§1. THE NEED OF SATISFYING READING EXPERIENCE
Why not having the same experience of reading on paper, but in the
terminal or any other reading device that doesn't support colors,
and formatting?
This idea wandering in my head for a long time, sometimes it was
underneath tons of thoughts, sometimes it was crystal clear.
Everything changed when I was reading "Introduction to Algebra",
written by A.I. Kostrikin.
This book, although re-printed several times during the years,
comes with the same formatting and pagination from 1982. Except
the titles of the chapters, it has the same typewriter formatting
of late 70s. And its formatting is a pleasure to read.
So, why not reproducing it?
§2. A NEW FORMATTING SPECIFICATION IS BORN!
For this reason, I've created the "typewriter" formatting spec.
And published it in form of git gist (3).
§3. HOW TO WORK WITH IT?
This gist is public and can be accessed by AI agents. Now,
whenever I have an important Markdown document I want to open in a
console, I can ask claude to reference the gist and transform it
into typewritten format.
And it works, you can find this exact article re-formatted from
Markdown with a single pass and no revision using claude.
Or, worth to mention, when I need to write something, I can follow
the typewriter specs. The specs are organised in a way that are
easy to memorise and natural to use.
§4. MAIN TRAITS
§4.1. FIXED WIDTH
The spec comes with fixed number of columns that could be used.
The number of columns is variable from document to document, and
claude is smart enough to detect it. In the top of the document is
specified the number of column needed to properly see it.
So, word wrapping on multiple lines are back to be done manually,
for the sake of improved and immediate readability.
§4.2. SPACES AS FUNDAMENTAL TRAITS
Tables, paragraphs, quotes, and many others elements are based on
spaces. Spaces are a basic characteristic of typewriters and are
rendered everywhere. A wise use of spaces could provide high grade
of readability and expressiveness.
For example, tables are formatted with a wise use of spaces.
-------------------------
ID NAME ROLE NOTE
-------------------------
1 ALICE ENGINEER PRIMARY
CONTACT
2 BOB PILOT BACKUP
-------------------------
§4.3. CHOICES CONSISTENCY
The spec enforces consistency on choices.
For example: paragraphs should always follow the same decision, if
the writer (or AI) decided to use one empty line, be stick with it
along the entire document.
§5. CONCLUSION
(FIGURE 2. - "JUST USE TXT" (4))
(Stupid images like this cannot be included in typewritten
format. Paradox of life)
* * *
(1) Johnny Briggs on Unsplash.
https://unsplash.com/@johnnyboylee
(2) Cover photo on Unsplash.
https://unsplash.com/photos/a-close-up-of-an-old-fashioned-
typewriter-b0zk-smIy0g
(3) The "typewriter" formatting spec, git gist.
https://gist.github.com/ccarcaci/937675adf71ae10c8ffa20c37ddf97d4
(4) "Just use txt" image, dev.to uploads.
https://dev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/
articles/jyrk5xys7l0yycmslxjr.jpg
* * *
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