textarea.my: Minimalist Text Editor Using URL Hash
Introducing textarea.my: A Minimalist Text Editor Inside Your URL
In a world where cloud storage, third‑party note apps, and complex editors dominate our workflow, textarea.my offers a wonderfully simple alternative. This open‑source project turns a regular browser window into a fully‑functional text editor that lives entirely in the URL hash, backed by localStorage for added redundancy. Whether you’re jotting quick notes, writing a short markdown snippet, or drafting a snippet of code, textarea.my gives you a fast, self‑contained solution with zero dependencies.
Why Use textarea.my?
| Benefit | What It Means |
|---|---|
| No server | All data is stored locally – no internet connection is required beyond the initial load of the page. |
| One‑click sharing | Copy the URL, and you can hand it off to anyone. The recipient sees your content instantly. |
| Tiny footprint | Less than 5 KB after minification – it loads in milliseconds. |
| Built‑in compression | Uses deflate to compress your text, keeping the URL short. |
| Open‑source | MIT‑licensed, so you can fork, tweak, or host it yourself. |
The project is maintained by Anton Medvedev and sits in a well‑structured GitHub repo (https://github.com/antonmedv/textarea). It’s a perfect example of pragmatic open‑source – a tool that solves a real problem without any bells or whistles.
Core Features
- URL‑hash persistence – Every change updates the URL hash. The full text is safely encoded, so you can share and reload exactly what you wrote.
- Deflate compression – Text is compressed automatically, so even lengthy markdown files fit comfortably in the URL.
- LocalStorage backup – The same data is stored in localStorage, offering an extra layer of persistence if the hash fails (e.g., due to URL length limits).
- Custom CSS via DevTools – While the editor itself is minimal, you can tweak its look by editing the
<article>element in DevTools. Changes persist in the hash. - QR code generation – Append
/qrto the URL, and the page will render a QR code that links back to the same document. - Title templating – Prefix your first line with
# Titleand the page title will adopt that value automatically. - Standalone wiki engine – The repo contains a small wiki powered by the same core, available as
wikiin the same repo.
Quickstart Guide
- Open the editor – Visit https://textarea.my.
- Start typing – The editor starts empty; any text you enter is instantly encoded into the URL.
- Save it – Click the Copy URL button (or use the
Ctrl+Cshortcut) and save the link wherever you want. - Reload – Open the URL in any browser to see your notes restored.
- Share – Send the link to a friend; no special permissions required.
Example
# My Quick Note
This is a _markdown_ example.
- Item 1
- Item 2
After typing, the URL might look like:
https://textarea.my#E2N4YlV9Yl7sX... (truncated for brevity)
Copy this link and drop it into a chat or email – the recipient sees the same exact note.
Advanced Usage & Pro Tips
| Tip | How To |
|---|---|
| Add a custom style | Open DevTools (F12), select <article>, and inject CSS. For example: article { background:#f4f4f4; color:#333; }. The style is included in the hash, so share it with others and they’ll see the same look. |
| Create a QR code | Visit <url>/qr. A QR code appears that links back to the full document. |
| Work in a different language | Set the charset in <meta charset="utf-8"> for full Unicode support. |
| Persist data across tabs | Because localStorage backs the hash, you can keep the same note open in multiple tabs; changes sync via a simple polling mechanism. |
| Deploy yourself | Clone the repo and serve index.html from any static host (Netlify, GitHub Pages, etc.). The project has a PWA manifest for offline use. |
Comparison With Popular Solutions
| Feature | textarea.my | Google Docs | Typora | Joplin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offline | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| URL Share | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Size | 5 KB | 1 MB+ | 15 KB | 30 KB |
| Markdown | ✅ (raw) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Custom CSS | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Compression | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
For quick, shareable snippets, textarea.my provides a lighter, more privacy‑friendly alternative.
Community & Contribution
As an open‑source repo, textarea.my welcomes contributions. Simple issues include adding a spell‑checker, better mobile ergonomics, or additional file exports. You can fork the project, experiment locally, and submit a pull request.
How to contribute
1. Fork the repo.
2. Make your changes in a new branch.
3. Run the test suite (npm test if you clone the repo).
4. Open a pull request with a clear description of the change.
The maintainers review PRs within a week and merge non‑disruptive tweaks promptly.
Future Enhancements
Potential roadmap items include: - Real‑time collaboration via WebRTC to merge the simplicity of URL editing with multi‑user support. - Version history: keep a revision stack in localStorage. - Export options: PDF, DOCX, or HTML output. - Dark‑mode toggles and other UI preferences.
These would maintain the core philosophy while expanding accessibility for power users.
Bottom Line
Textarea.my is a testament to how less can often mean more: a tiny, self‑contained editor that requires no server, no account, and no heavy libraries. Its focus on URL‑based persistence and shareability makes it ideal for developers, writers, and anyone who enjoys the spontaneity of a quick note with the confidence that it lives only on your device—unless you choose to share it. Explore the code, try it out today, and see how effortlessly you can turn a URL into your own personal text editor.
GitHub repo: https://github.com/antonmedv/textarea
Live demo: https://textarea.my