Support relative markdown link navigation #3

New issue

Closed

opened 2026-05-19 02:29:21 +00:00 by ldraney · 0 comments

ldraney commented

2026-05-19 02:29:21 +00:00

Owner

Type

Feature

Lineage

Project: mdview
Plan: n/a
Phase: n/a

Repo

ldraney/mdview

User Story

As a user, I want to click relative links to other .md files (e.g. docs/user-stories.md) in the rendered view and have them render through mdview, so I can navigate a doc tree in the browser.

Context

Currently mdview only renders the single file passed via CLI. Markdown docs commonly link to each other with relative paths. These links should resolve to the mdview renderer, not 404.

Description

Derive a base directory from MDVIEW_FILE
Add a catch-all route that serves any .md file relative to that base dir
Post-process rendered HTML to rewrite .md hrefs to mdview routes
Keep root / rendering the original entry file

File Targets

config/routes.rb -- add catch-all route
app/controllers/markdown_controller.rb -- path resolution, link rewriting

Acceptance Criteria

Clicking a relative .md link navigates to the rendered file
Links to non-.md files are left untouched
Path traversal (../../../etc/passwd) is blocked
Root / still renders the entry file

Test Expectations

README with [link](docs/foo.md) renders, click navigates to foo.md
Mermaid diagrams work on sub-pages too

Constraints

Files must be within the base directory (no escaping)
Non-existent files show a clear 404

Checklist

Catch-all route
Path resolution in controller
Link rewriting in rendered HTML
Path traversal guard
Visual test

Follows from initial scaffold and #1.

### Type Feature ### Lineage - Project: mdview - Plan: n/a - Phase: n/a ### Repo ldraney/mdview ### User Story As a user, I want to click relative links to other `.md` files (e.g. `docs/user-stories.md`) in the rendered view and have them render through mdview, so I can navigate a doc tree in the browser. ### Context Currently mdview only renders the single file passed via CLI. Markdown docs commonly link to each other with relative paths. These links should resolve to the mdview renderer, not 404. ### Description - Derive a base directory from `MDVIEW_FILE` - Add a catch-all route that serves any `.md` file relative to that base dir - Post-process rendered HTML to rewrite `.md` hrefs to mdview routes - Keep root `/` rendering the original entry file ### File Targets - `config/routes.rb` -- add catch-all route - `app/controllers/markdown_controller.rb` -- path resolution, link rewriting ### Acceptance Criteria - Clicking a relative `.md` link navigates to the rendered file - Links to non-`.md` files are left untouched - Path traversal (`../../../etc/passwd`) is blocked - Root `/` still renders the entry file ### Test Expectations - README with `[link](docs/foo.md)` renders, click navigates to foo.md - Mermaid diagrams work on sub-pages too ### Constraints - Files must be within the base directory (no escaping) - Non-existent files show a clear 404 ### Checklist - [ ] Catch-all route - [ ] Path resolution in controller - [ ] Link rewriting in rendered HTML - [ ] Path traversal guard - [ ] Visual test ### Related Follows from initial scaffold and #1.