Markdown-First Storage

MDCollections stores every item in your collection as a plain Markdown file with YAML frontmatter. There is no proprietary database, no cloud sync service, and no binary format standing between you and your data.

Each item is a .md file. The properties you define — title, author, ISBN, condition, whatever your collection needs — are stored as YAML frontmatter at the top of the file. Any notes, descriptions, or longer-form content go in the Markdown body below.

---
title: The Design of Everyday Things
author: Don Norman
isbn: "978-0465050659"
rating: 5
---

A foundational text on human-centered design. Norman argues that
good design is actually about good communication between the
object and the user.

This means your data is always readable. Open any item in a text editor, in Obsidian, in any Markdown tool — it just works. If you ever stop using MDCollections, your files remain exactly as they are. No export step, no conversion, no data loss.

MDCollections watches the filesystem for changes too. If you edit a file outside the app — in Obsidian on your Mac, in a text editor, or through a sync service — MDCollections picks up the changes automatically.