📝 PowerToys Run: QuickNotes Plugin

Create, manage, and search notes directly from PowerToys Run

SHA256 Checksums

# QuickNotes-1.0.11-x64.zip
# QuickNotes-1.0.11-arm64.zip
# Checksums will be generated during release build

🆕 v1.0.11: Added customizable notes folder so you decide where notes.txt lives. Huge thanks to @ShiSui97x for the idea! Full changelog

🚀 v1.0.10 - MEGA RELEASE: 🎉 Git Sync Feature - The game-changer you've been waiting for! Sync your notes across all devices with GitHub integration. Never lose a note again! Full changelog

🚀 v1.0.9: Improved multi-line notes with better code snippet support. Full changelog

🔄 v1.0.8: PowerToys Run plugin validation compliance, optimized dependencies

🔄 v1.0.7: Enhanced note deletion with better confirmation dialogs and ID-based identification

📝 v1.0.6: Reworked note management system fixing critical bugs with deletion and editing

📋 Overview

QuickNotes is a plugin for Microsoft PowerToys Run that allows you to quickly create, manage, and search notes directly from your PowerToys Run interface. Simply type qq followed by your note text to save it, or use various commands to manage your notes collection.

📚 Documentation

For detailed documentation, visit the QuickNotes Wiki.

⚡ Installation

Quick Install

1. Download the x64 or ARM64 version
2. Extract to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\PowerToys\PowerToys Run\Plugins\
3. Restart PowerToys
4. Start using with Alt+Space then type qq

PowerShell Installation

# Download and install the latest version (x64)
$url = "https://github.com/ruslanlap/CommunityPowerToysRunPlugin-QuickNotes/releases/download/v1.0.11/QuickNotes-1.0.11-x64.zip"
$pluginPath = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Microsoft\PowerToys\PowerToys Run\Plugins\QuickNotes"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $pluginPath | Out-Null
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $url -OutFile "$env:TEMP\QuickNotes.zip"
Expand-Archive -Path "$env:TEMP\QuickNotes.zip" -DestinationPath $pluginPath -Force
Remove-Item "$env:TEMP\QuickNotes.zip"
Write-Host "QuickNotes plugin has been installed. Please restart PowerToys." -ForegroundColor Green

✨ Features

• 🚀 ☁️ Git Sync - NEW! Sync notes across all devices with GitHub integration
• 📝 Quick Note Creation - Instantly save notes with a simple command
• 🔍 Powerful Search - Find notes with highlighted search terms
• 🏷️ Tag Support - Add #tags to notes and search by tag
• 📌 Pin Important Notes - Pin critical notes to keep them at the top
• ✨ Full Markdown Support - Format with headers, code blocks, lists, and more
• 📝 Multi-Line Notes - Rich editor with live preview for longer notes
• 📋 Clipboard Integration - Copy notes with a single click
• 🔄 Undo Delete - Restore recently deleted notes
• 💾 Simple Backup - Create backups of your notes collection
• 📂 Custom Storage Folder - Choose the directory where your notes live right from PowerToys settings (thanks @ShiSui97x!)

🔧 Usage

Open PowerToys Run (default: Alt + Space) and use these commands:

Command	Description
qq <text>	Create a new note
qq help	Show help information
qq search <term>	Search notes with highlighted matches
qq searchtag <tag>	Search notes by tag
qq view <number>	View note details
qq edit <number>	Edit a specific note
qq del <number>	Delete a specific note
qq delall	Delete all notes
qq undo	Restore last deleted note
qq pin <number>	Pin a note to the top
qq unpin <number>	Unpin a note
qq sort date	Sort notes by date
qq sort alpha	Sort notes alphabetically
qq backup	Backup notes
qq markdown	Create multi-line markdown note
qq sync	Sync notes to Git repository
qq restore	Restore notes from Git repository

👉 Quick Tips

• Press Enter on a note to copy it to clipboard
• Right-click for more options (copy, edit, delete, pin/unpin)
• Add #tags to notes: qq Meeting with John #work #important
• Format with Markdown:
  • Bold: **text** or __text__
  • Italic: *text* or _text_
  • Code: `code`
  • Headers: # Heading
  • Lists: - item or 1. item
• Use Ctrl+C to copy with timestamp
• Type qq then press Tab for command suggestions
• URLs in notes are automatically detected and clickable

☁️ Git Sync - 🚀 MEGA FEATURE!

The game-changer you've been waiting for! QuickNotes now supports syncing your notes to a Git repository. This is the ultimate way to back up your notes and sync them across multiple computers. Never lose a note again!

Setup

1. Enable Git Sync in Settings:
   • Open PowerToys settings.
   • Go to the QuickNotes plugin settings.
   • Check the "Enable Git Sync" checkbox.
2. Configure Git Settings:
   • Git Repository URL: The URL of the Git repository you want to sync to. Both HTTPS and SSH URLs are supported. For example: https://github.com/user/repo.git or git@github.com:user/repo.git.
   • Git Branch: The branch you want to sync to. Defaults to main.
   • Git Username: Your Git username.
   • Git Email: Your Git email address.

Usage

• qq sync: This command will commit and push your notes to the remote repository.
• qq restore: This command will pull the latest version of your notes from the remote repository. It will create a local backup of your notes before restoring.

Authentication: The plugin uses your system's Git credentials. If you are using HTTPS, it's recommended to use a Personal Access Token (PAT) instead of a password. For SSH, make sure your SSH key is configured correctly.

🎬 Demo

QuickNotes in action

📁 Data Storage

QuickNotes stores all your notes in a simple text file. By default it lives at:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\PowerToys\QuickNotes\notes.txt

Prefer a different location? Open PowerToys settings → QuickNotes → “Notes folder path” to point the plugin to any folder you like. The plugin will create the folder if it does not exist (idea credit: @ShiSui97x!).

## 🛠️ Building from Source

### Prerequisites

- Visual Studio 2022 or later
- .NET SDK
- [Microsoft PowerToys](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys) installed
- Windows 10 or later

### Build Steps

1. Clone the repository
2. Open the solution in Visual Studio
3. Build the solution: `dotnet build -c Release`

## 🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please check the [Contributing Guidelines](wiki/Contributing.md) for more information.

## ❓ FAQ

<details>
  <summary><b>How do I update the plugin?</b></summary>
  <p>Download the latest release and replace the files in your PowerToys Plugins directory. Restart PowerToys afterward.</p>
</details>

<details>
  <summary><b>Can I sync my notes across devices?</b></summary>
  <p>Yes, you can use the built-in Git Sync feature to sync your notes across devices. See the "Git Sync" section for more details.</p>
</details>

<details>
  <summary><b>What if I accidentally delete all my notes?</b></summary>
  <p>If you've created backups using the <code>qq backup</code> command, you can restore from those. If you are using Git Sync, you can restore your notes from the remote repository using `qq restore`. Otherwise, you might be able to recover from Windows File History if enabled.</p>
</details>

<details>
  <summary><b>Can I change the storage location?</b></summary>
  <p>Yes! Set the “Notes folder path” option in PowerToys → QuickNotes settings. Leave it empty to keep the default AppData folder.</p>
</details>

## 📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.

## 🙏 Acknowledgements

- [Microsoft PowerToys](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys) team for creating the extensible PowerToys Run platform
- All contributors who have helped improve this plugin
- Special thanks to [@ShiSui97x](https://github.com/ShiSui97x) for inspiring the configurable notes folder feature
- Icons and visual elements from various open-source projects

---

<div align="center">
  <h2>📥 Download Latest Version</h2>
  
  <a href="https://github.com/ruslanlap/CommunityPowerToysRunPlugin-QuickNotes/releases/download/v1.0.11/QuickNotes-1.0.11-x64.zip">
    <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Download-x64_64-0078D7?style=for-the-badge&logo=windows&logoColor=white" alt="Download x64">
  </a>
  
  <a href="https://github.com/ruslanlap/CommunityPowerToysRunPlugin-QuickNotes/releases/download/v1.0.11/QuickNotes-1.0.11-arm64.zip">
    <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Download-ARM64-0078D7?style=for-the-badge&logo=windows&logoColor=white" alt="Download ARM64">
  </a>
  
  <a href="https://github.com/ruslanlap/CommunityPowerToysRunPlugin-QuickNotes/releases/latest">
    <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/View_All_Releases-181717?style=for-the-badge&logo=github&logoColor=white" alt="View All Releases">
  </a>
  
  <p>Made with ❤️ by <a href="https://github.com/ruslanlap">ruslanlap</a></p>
  
  <a href="#-powertoys-run-quicknotes-plugin">Back to top ⬆️</a>
</div>

## 📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.

## 🙏 Acknowledgements

- [Microsoft PowerToys](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys) team for creating the extensible PowerToys Run platform
- All contributors who have helped improve this plugin
- Special thanks to [@ShiSui97x](https://github.com/ShiSui97x) for inspiring the configurable notes folder feature
- Icons and visual elements from various open-source projects

### 🧩 Notable Features

- **Timestamp Management**: Automatically adds timestamps to notes and provides options to display or hide them
- **Tag Detection**: Identifies and formats #tags with customizable styling (bold or italic)
- **URL Detection**: Uses regex to find and make URLs clickable in notes
- **Undo Functionality**: Tracks deleted notes to enable undo operations
- **Sort Capabilities**: Implements flexible sorting by date or alphabetically
- **Autocomplete**: Provides intelligent command suggestions as you type

The implementation prioritizes user experience with features like:

- Clean content copying (stripping timestamps and tags)
- Intelligent display of pinned vs. regular notes
- Comprehensive error handling
- Helpful tooltips and notifications
- Flexible search capabilities

This robust architecture makes QuickNotes not just a simple note-taking plugin, but a powerful productivity tool that seamlessly integrates with PowerToys Run.

For more detailed implementation information, see the [IMPLEMENTATION_SUMMARY.md](docs/IMPLEMENTATION_SUMMARY.md) file.