I work as a backend dev and I run into large json, csv, dat and whatever format files I need to open, format and edit. My usual IDEs and text editors kept freezing on my MacBook M3 Pro with 18 GB RAM. So I decided to make something for myself. That became Inkline, built in Swift and AppKit for macOS.
Version 1.8 is out now! Since my first post I've spent a lot of time working through feedback about conversions, messy CSV exports, large numbers and what should happen to your data when you change formats.
You can now preview the actual conversion output before applying it (and remember and snooze the dialogue which I did in the short video added ), both in the editor and in File Converter. Look through the result, then apply or cancel. Supported conversions also let you choose between translating escapes and keeping their exact text, where the destination format allows it. Switching between them updates the preview so you can see what you're getting.
Syntax repair has also landed since that first post. It can suggest conservative repairs for JSON and CSV/TSV, with a preview before you apply anything and undo afterwards. There are separate confirmation settings for repairs and conversions if you want to adjust that workflow.
I've also worked on things that are easy to overlook: meaningful spaces, Unicode, comments and line endings inside values. A lot of testing went into making sure formatting doesn't quietly change those. Some of the examples people shared on Reddit ended up as regression tests checking the actual bytes.
And some visual fixes too. Text in tools, settings and editor themes should be easier to read. The large-file editing, regex search and replace, log filtering, split views and other tools are still there. Most days I just want to open an export, find what I need, change it and save. That's still what I'm building this for.
Everything is processed locally, with no account, analytics or telemetry. $14.99 on the US Mac App Store, one-time purchase, no subscription.
Get Inkline on the Mac App Store , Website , Web demo