The story of Ferrite
A passion project built at the intersection of native development and AI-assisted programming.
Why Ferrite exists
It started with Notepad. When Microsoft added Copilot to Notepad, I thought: "I could try to build something here." Working with AI and Markdown files daily, I wanted an editor that understood both - and didn't require Electron's bloat.
What began as "a Notepad clone with Markdown support" quickly snowballed. JSON/YAML tree viewers. Mermaid diagrams. Git integration. A Hacker News post generated a flood of feature requests. The project grew from idea to 800+ GitHub stars in under a month.
The name "Ferrite" comes from iron oxide - a nod to Rust (the language) and the strength we aim to bring to the editing experience. Built entirely through AI-assisted development, it's proof that production software can be created this way.
Built with AI
Ferrite's entire codebase was developed through AI-assisted programming.
How it works
Every line of Ferrite's code was written through conversation with AI. A human developer provides direction, reviews output, and guides the architecture - while AI handles the actual code generation.
Why share this?
We believe in transparency. AI-assisted development is the future, and Ferrite demonstrates that production-quality software can be built this way. The dev blog documents this journey.
Development Timeline
The Idea
Saw Microsoft add Copilot to Notepad and thought: why not build a proper native editor for Markdown and JSON files? Started building with AI-assisted development.
v0.1.0 - First Release
First public release. Multi-tab editing, WYSIWYG markdown, JSON/YAML tree viewers, workspace mode, and custom borderless UI.
v0.2.0 - Major Features
Split view, native Mermaid diagrams (11 types), editor minimap, Git integration, Zen mode, auto-save, and session persistence.
v0.2.1-0.2.3 - Rapid Iteration
Mermaid improvements, CJK font support, CLI arguments, editor productivity features (Go to Line, Duplicate, Move Line, Smart Paste).
v0.2.5 - The Mermaid Update
Mermaid refactor, CSV viewer, i18n infrastructure, semantic minimap, keyboard customization, drag-drop images, snippets. Hacker News launch generated tons of feedback.
v0.2.5.1 - Polish
Memory optimization (250MB → 72MB), multi-encoding support, CPU optimization (10% → <1% idle), cursor positioning fixes.
Long-term Vision
Ferrite is evolving toward a modular architecture. Instead of one monolithic app, we want you to choose exactly what you need.
Modular Core
A lightweight core that handles text editing, files, and theming. Everything else becomes optional. Don't need Mermaid diagrams? Don't include them.
Build Presets
Choose from presets like Full, Slim, or Writer. Each optimized for different workflows and binary sizes.
Cloud Build Service
Want a custom combination? Select your features, and we'll build your personalized binary in the cloud. Watch the build live or get notified when it's ready.
Future: A plugin ecosystem where the community can contribute modules. Since Ferrite is open source, anyone can build and share their own features.
This is where we're heading - implementation details are still being refined.
Built with
Want to contribute?
Ferrite is open source and welcomes contributions. Whether it's bug reports, feature requests, or code contributions - we'd love to hear from you.