Show HN: A WYSIWYG word processor in Python

Source: Hacker News

Introduction

Hi all,

Finding a good data structure for a word processor is a difficult problem. My notebook diaries on the problem go back 25 years when I was frustrated with using Word for my diploma thesis—it was slow and unstable at that time. I ended up getting pretty hooked on the problem.

Right now I’m taking a professional break and decided to finally use the time to push these ideas further, and build MiniWord — a WYSIWYG word processor in Python.

My goal is to have a native, non‑HTML‑based editor that stays simple, fast, and hackable. So far I am focusing on getting the fundamentals right.

What is working

• Real WYSIWYG editing (no HTML layer, no embedded browser) with styles, images, and tables.
• Clean, simple file format (human‑readable, diff‑friendly, git‑friendly, AI‑friendly).
• Markdown support.
• Support for Python plugins.

Things I’ve discovered

• B‑tree structures are perfect for holding rich‑text data.
• A simple text‑based file format is incredibly useful—you can diff documents, version them, and even process them with AI tools quite naturally.

Feedback I’m looking for

• Where do you see real use cases for something like this?
• What would be missing for you to take it seriously as a tool or platform?
• What kinds of plugins or extensions would actually be worth building?

Happy about any thoughts—positive or critical.

Comments: (Points: 14)