tinkerdown

name	tinkerdown
description	Build single-file web apps in markdown. No React. No build step. Just run.
triggers	["tinkerdown","single-file app","markdown app","no-build app","internal tool","admin dashboard","one-file app"]

Tinkerdown: One-File AI App Builder

Build working web apps in a single markdown file. No React. No build step. Just run.

When to Use Tinkerdown

Use Tinkerdown for:

• Internal tools - Admin dashboards, data viewers, CRUD apps
• Prototypes - Quick interactive demos
• Personal utilities - Task managers, trackers, simple apps
• Data displays - Tables, forms, dashboards connected to databases/APIs

Don't use Tinkerdown for:

• Public-facing marketing sites (use static site generators)
• Apps requiring complex client-side state (use React/Vue)
• Real-time multiplayer games

Quick Start

1. Create a markdown file

Create myapp.md:

---
title: "My App"
---

# My App

\`\`\`lvt
<div>
    <h2>Add Item</h2>
    <form name="save" lvt-persist="items">
        <input type="text" name="title" required>
        <button type="submit">Add</button>
    </form>

    <h2>Items</h2>
    {{if .Items}}
    <ul>
        {{range .Items}}
        <li>
            {{.Title}}
            <button name="Delete" data-id="{{.Id}}">Delete</button>
        </li>
        {{end}}
    </ul>
    {{else}}
    <p>No items yet.</p>
    {{end}}
</div>
\`\`\`

2. Run it

tinkerdown serve myapp.md

3. Open in browser

Navigate to http://localhost:3000 - your app is running!

Key Concepts

Concept	What It Does
lvt-persist	Auto-saves form data to SQLite. Creates table, generates CRUD.
lvt-source	Connects to external data (PostgreSQL, REST API, CSV, JSON, scripts)
name (on button/form)	Triggers server action on click (button) or form submission (form)
data-*	Passes data with actions (e.g., data-id="123")
frontmatter sources	Define data sources in frontmatter - no tinkerdown.yaml needed!

Reference

See reference.md for complete API documentation:

• File structure and frontmatter
• All lvt-* attributes
• Source configuration (pg, rest, csv, json, exec)
• Template syntax (Go templates)
• Components (datatable, dropdown)

Examples

See examples/ for complete working apps:

1. Todo App - Basic CRUD with lvt-persist
2. Dashboard - Data display with lvt-source
3. Contact Form - Form handling
4. Blog - Multi-page with partials
5. Inventory - PostgreSQL integration
6. Survey - Multi-step forms
7. Booking - Date/time handling
8. Expense Tracker - CSV import
9. FAQ - Accordion component
10. Status Page - Real-time updates