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Q&A Can we have a "show post source" button?

Why I like I like the idea of a button that shows me the raw Markdown (or MathJax or HTML depending on the post) so I can see how certain styles are achieved. I too find the "Edit" button unsatisf...

posted 1y ago by trichoplax‭

Answer
#1: Initial revision by user avatar trichoplax‭ · 2023-08-05T15:12:57Z (over 1 year ago)
## Why I like
I like the idea of a button that shows me the raw [Markdown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markdown) (or [MathJax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MathJax) or [HTML](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML) depending on the post) so I can see how certain styles are achieved. I too find the "Edit" button unsatisfactory for this purpose. If I'm making a genuine edit then a draft is saved (which I like). I don't want this to happen if I'm just viewing the Markdown out of interest. I therefore have to scroll down and press "Cancel" on the edit page before I close the tab.

## My concerns
However, there are some potential problems with a raw text button:
1. As you mention, this adds clutter. The existing buttons already wrap onto 2 lines on mobile.
1. I like your suggestion of tidying away some of these buttons into a menu button. However, if the raw text button is behind a menu button, then it is quicker for me to press "Edit", so I probably will at least some of the time.

Perhaps other buttons could be put behind a menu button, so that both "Edit" and "Raw text" could be available with a single click. Perhaps both "Edit" and "Raw text" could be behind a menu button, so each take two clicks.

## Previewing
Some people may still prefer to edit, because they want to see what changes in the preview when they make small adjustments to the raw text. Perhaps the raw text could open in a new tab with a preview, so you can see the changing results without saving a draft edit to the original post. This would be like a sandbox available from every post, with that post's content as a starting point.

## More discussion please
In summary, I don't know what's best, but I'd like to see more discussion to find out all the options.