# Writing and formatting

Change a block into a heading, a list or a to-do, and style its words.

A page is plain writing. Each paragraph is a block.

## A page's icon and cover

Point at a page's title. Above it are **Add icon**, **Add cover** and **Add tag**. On a phone they are the first three rows of the page's **⋯** menu (**Change icon** and **Change cover** once it has them).

- **Add icon** opens every icon there is. Search them by name or by a word (`plant` finds the sprout), and pick one of the ten colors for it. The icon sits above the title, and beside the page's name, in its color, everywhere the page is listed: the sidebar, tabs, the Library, search, the path at the top of a page, Linked here, and where the page is mentioned. Click it to change it or remove it.
- **Add cover** puts a soft color band with rounded corners across the top of the page. Point at the cover for **Change cover** (a gradient or one color) and **Remove**. On a phone, tap the cover to show them; tap again, or anywhere else, to hide them.

A day page starts with a sun for its icon, and can have a cover too.

## The page menu

Click **⋯** at the top right of a page. It has:

- **Add tag** (on a day page), **Copy link** (`⌘L`), **Duplicate** and **Move to…**.
- **View as**: Default, Outline (bullets on every block), Prose (no bullets), Numbered, Checklist, Canvas, List, Table, Board, Calendar, Gallery or Chart.
- **Add a view**: another view of the page's blocks, with the same choices. The views then show as tabs above the blocks, as on a tag's page.
- **Full width**: the page's blocks use the whole width of the window.
- **Fields**: Open, Inline or Hidden. See [Change a value](fields.md#values).
- **Show who wrote what**. See [Who wrote what](agents.md#who-wrote-what).
- **Find on Page** (`⌘F`).
- **Page history**: the page's changes, in the right panel.
- **Export as Markdown**: saves the page and its blocks as a `.md` file.
- **Move to Trash**. Fennick asks first.

Day pages have no Duplicate, Move to or Move to Trash. At the foot of the menu: who edited the page last, when, and how many words it has. On a phone, Star, Duplicate and Copy link are at the top of the menu.

## Block kinds

Every block has a kind. Change it in three ways:

- Type `/` at the start of a block, or after a space. The menu shows the kinds. Keep typing to filter it (`/head`, `/todo`). Press `Enter` to pick. The `/word` you typed goes away; the rest of the block stays.
- Type a markdown mark at the start of the block (see below).
- Press `⌘⌥` and a number (`Ctrl+Alt` on Windows).

![The / menu open under a new block, listing Text, Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, Bulleted list, Numbered list, To-do, Quote and Callout](img/slash.webp)
*Type / to change a block's kind.*

| Kind | Type at the start | Key |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Text |  | `⌘⌥0` |
| Heading 1 | `# ` | `⌘⌥1` |
| Heading 2 | `## ` | `⌘⌥2` |
| Heading 3 | `### ` | `⌘⌥3` |
| To-do | `[] ` or `[ ] ` | `⌘⌥4` |
| Bulleted list | `- `, `* ` or `+ ` | `⌘⌥5` |
| Numbered list | `1. ` or `1) ` | `⌘⌥6` |
| Quote | `> ` or `" ` | `⌘⌥7` |
| Code | ````` | `⌘⌥8` |
| Callout |  |  |
| Divider | `---` |  |
| Query | `??`, then a query |  |
| Table |  |  |
| Picture or file |  |  |

### How the kinds behave

- **Headings** are a style only. The blocks after a heading do not belong to it. To put blocks inside a block, [indent them](outlining.md).
- **To-dos** have a round checkbox. Click it, or press `⌘Enter`, to tick it.
- **Lists** continue: `Enter` on a list block makes another of the same kind. `Enter` on an empty list block moves it out one step, or turns it back into text.
- **Quotes** are set off from the writing around them.
- **Callouts** sit in a grey box with a lightbulb at their start. **Code** sits in a lined box, in fixed-width letters, so the two never look alike.
- To make a section you can fold, indent blocks under a block. Any block with blocks inside it folds. See [Outlining](outlining.md#fold).
- **Code** blocks keep every letter as typed. `Enter` adds a block inside the code. The /, #, @ and :: menus do not open in code.
- **Table** and **Picture or file**: see [Pictures, files and tables](files.md).
- **Divider** draws a rule and starts a new block after it.
- **Query** lists the entities of a tag that match your words, live, under the block. See [Queries](queries.md).
- Every block can open as a page of its own: click its bullet. There is no separate page kind.

`Backspace` at the start of a heading, list block or other kind turns it back into text. On a text block, it joins the block to the one above.

## Markdown while you type

Type the marks around words and Fennick styles the words and drops the marks:

| Type | You get |
| --- | --- |
| `**words**` | **bold** |
| `*words*` or `_words_` | *italic* |
| ``words`` | `inline code` |
| `~words~` | ~~strikethrough~~ |

When you paste text, more marks are read: `~~strike~~`, `==highlight==`, `<u>underline</u>` and `[words](https://…)` links. See [Copy and paste](copy-paste.md).

## Text styles

Words in a block can be bold, italic, underlined, struck through, inline code, highlighted, or linked.

| Style | Mac | Windows |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bold | `⌘B` | `Ctrl+B` |
| Italic | `⌘I` | `Ctrl+I` |
| Underline | `⌘U` | `Ctrl+U` |
| Inline code | `⌘E` | `Ctrl+E` |
| Strikethrough | `⌘⇧S` | `Ctrl+Shift+S` |
| Highlight | `⌘⇧H` | `Ctrl+Shift+H` |
| Highlight and write a note | `⌃⌘H` | `Ctrl+Alt+H` |
| Link | `⌘K` | `Ctrl+K` |

- With words selected, the key styles them. Press it again to take the style off.
- With nothing selected, the next letters you type take the style.
- The words stay plain words underneath. Search and agents read them as written.
- Styles stay with their words when you split a block, join two blocks, duplicate, copy, paste or undo.

## The toolbar on selected words

Select words in a block. When you let go of the mouse, a small toolbar shows above them. It has:

- **Turn into**: the block's kind, with a list of kinds to change to.
- **B**, *I*, U, ~~S~~, code and highlight. A pressed button means the words already have that style.
- Beside the highlight, **⌄** opens the highlight colors: the ten soft colors of tags, and **Remove highlight**. Yellow (Butter) is the one it starts with. A highlight is an entity of its own: see [Highlights](links.md#research-highlights).
- **Link**, or **Remove link** when the words are already linked.

![Two words selected in a block, with the toolbar above them: Turn into, Bold, Italic, Underline, Strikethrough, Code, Highlight and Link](img/toolbar.webp)
*The toolbar on selected words.*

The highlight button and `⌘⇧H` use the color you picked last, so a run of highlights in one color is one key each. Dark mode has its own, darker shades of each color.

To write a note on a highlight as you make it, press `⌃⌘H` instead: the words are highlighted and its peek opens right there, the caret in its note. On a phone, hold the highlight button. See [Highlights](links.md#research-highlights).

The words stay selected while you use it. `Esc` puts it away. It does not show on code blocks. On a phone it shows below the words, because the phone's own menu sits above them.

## Web links

Select words and press `⌘K`. Paste a web address and press `Enter`. Or paste a web address straight over the selected words.

- Click a link to open it, in a new tab. No key is needed; on a phone, tap it.
- Rest the mouse on a link for a bubble with its address, **Copy** and **Edit**. On a phone, hold the link for **Open**, **Copy link** and **Edit link**.
- To select a link's words without opening it, drag across them or use `⇧` and the arrow keys.

To link words to a page or an entity instead, see [Linked highlights](links.md#highlights).

## Enter and Backspace

- `Enter` in the middle of a block splits it. The words after the caret go to a new block, with their styles.
- `Enter` at the start of a block with words puts an empty block above it.
- `⇧Enter` starts a new row inside the same block.
- `Backspace` at the start of a text block joins it to the block above. An empty block just goes.
- `Backspace` just after a mention takes the whole mention, never part of its name.