Editor Settings

Ariv’s editor is built on CodeMirror 6 — a fast, extensible code editor that handles Markdown beautifully. Every setting below is available in Settings (Cmd+, on macOS, Ctrl+, on Windows) under the Editor section.

Font

Font Family

Set the font used in the editor. By default, Ariv uses your system’s monospace font, which varies by platform:

• macOS: Menlo
• Windows: Consolas

You can enter any font installed on your system. If the font isn’t found, Ariv falls back to the system default.

Setting: editor.fontFamily

Tip

For a proportional (non-monospace) writing experience, try setting this to a serif font like Georgia or a sans-serif like Inter. The editor works well with any font — monospace is just the default.

Font Size

Controls the size of text in the editor, in pixels. The default is 16px, and you can set it anywhere from 10px to 32px.

Setting: editor.fontSize

Line Height

Controls the spacing between lines of text. The default is 1.6, which provides comfortable reading spacing. You can set this anywhere from 1.0 (tight, no extra space) to 3.0 (very open, double-spaced feel).

Setting: editor.lineHeight

Tip

A line height of 1.6 to 1.8 is generally considered optimal for reading. If you do a lot of writing in long-form prose, try bumping it up to 1.8 for a bit more breathing room.

Display

Formatting Toolbar

A toolbar that appears above the editor with buttons for common Markdown formatting — bold, italic, headings, lists, links, and more. This is useful if you’re new to Markdown or prefer clicking over typing syntax.

Disabled by default. Power users tend to leave it off and use keyboard shortcuts instead.

Setting: editor.showToolbar

Line Numbers

Show line numbers in the left gutter of the editor. Useful for referencing specific lines, especially when working with code-heavy notes.

Disabled by default.

Setting: editor.showLineNumbers

Line Wrapping

When enabled, long lines wrap to the next visual line instead of scrolling horizontally. Most people leave this on — horizontal scrolling in a text editor is rarely pleasant.

Enabled by default.

Setting: editor.lineWrapping

Caution

If you disable line wrapping, very long lines (such as pasted URLs or log output) will extend beyond the visible area. You’ll need to scroll horizontally to see the full content.

Readable Line Length

Limits the editor width to approximately 80 characters, centering the text in the available space. This prevents lines from stretching across ultra-wide monitors, which makes reading more comfortable.

Enabled by default.

Setting: editor.readableLineLength

Note

This setting doesn’t affect the actual content of your files — lines aren’t hard-wrapped or truncated. It only limits the visual width of the editor area.

Highlight Active Line

Adds a subtle background highlight to the line your cursor is currently on. This makes it easy to track your position in a document, especially in longer notes.

Enabled by default.

Setting: editor.highlightActiveLine

Behavior

Auto-Pair Brackets

Automatically inserts a closing bracket, parenthesis, or quote when you type the opening one. For example, typing ( inserts () and places your cursor between them.

This applies to: (), [], {}, "", “, and ''.

Enabled by default.

Setting: editor.autoPairBrackets

Spell Check

Enables your operating system’s built-in spell checker in the editor. Misspelled words appear with a red underline, and you can right-click for suggestions.

Enabled by default.

Setting: editor.spellcheck

Note

Spell checking is handled by your OS, not by Ariv. The language and dictionary used depend on your system’s spell check settings.

Vim Mode

Enables Vim keybindings in the editor. When active, the editor starts in Normal mode and supports standard Vim motions, operators, and modes (Normal, Insert, Visual).

Disabled by default. For details on what’s supported, see Vim Mode.

Setting: editor.vimMode

Auto-Save Delay

Ariv automatically saves your notes as you type. This setting controls how long Ariv waits after you stop typing before saving, in milliseconds. The default is 1000ms (1 second).

Value	Behavior
0	Disables auto-save entirely — you’ll need to save manually with Cmd+S / Ctrl+S
500	Saves 0.5 seconds after you stop typing
1000	Saves 1 second after you stop typing (default)
5000	Saves 5 seconds after you stop typing

The allowed range is 0 to 10000ms.

Setting: editor.autoSaveDelay

Tip

If you’re on a machine with a slow disk or you find the auto-save distracting, increase the delay to 2000-3000ms. The default of 1000ms works well for most setups.

Formatting

Tab Size

The number of spaces inserted when you press Tab. The default is 4 spaces, and you can set it from 1 to 8.

This also affects how existing tab characters are displayed in the editor.

Setting: editor.tabSize

Cursor

Cursor Style

Controls the visual shape of the cursor in the editor:

Style	Description
Line	A thin vertical line (default). The standard cursor you see in most text editors.
Block	A full-character rectangle. Common in terminal emulators and Vim.
Underline	A horizontal line beneath the current character position.

Setting: editor.cursorStyle

Cursor Blink

Controls the blinking animation of the cursor:

Option	Description
Blink	Standard on/off blinking (default)
Smooth	Fades in and out gradually
Expand	Grows and shrinks
Phase	Smooth sinusoidal fade
Off	Cursor is always visible, no animation

Setting: editor.cursorBlink

Cursor Width

Controls the width of the cursor in pixels when using the Line cursor style. The default is 2px, and you can set it from 1px to 6px.

This setting has no effect when using Block or Underline cursor styles.

Setting: editor.cursorWidth

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Related: Themes & Appearance — Customize the look of the interface | Vim Mode — Full guide to Vim keybindings in Ariv | Settings Reference — Complete list of every Ariv setting