Shuli: A Powerful Desktop Note App with WebDAV Sync and Offline Support

Shuli is a simple-to-use yet powerful note-taking application that supports rich text editing, Markdown syntax, and a slash command menu for block editing. It features excellent performance and WebDAV synchronization capabilities.

I accidentally discovered this note-taking software on V2ex. Please note that this software is not developed by xiaoz. Please choose based on your own usage needs!

Download and Usage

Download and Installation

Currently, Shuli supports Windows, Linux, and macOS platforms. The client can be downloaded and used for free via the official website: https://slinote.com/home. Mobile support is not yet available; according to the developer, mobile versions are currently in development and will be supported in the future.

After installation, the interface is relatively clean. Upon opening, you will see a built-in user guide.

Configuring WebDAV

Notes created in Shuli are saved locally by default. You can configure WebDAV to enable cloud synchronization. Here, xiaoz demonstrates using the WebDAV feature of Zdir.

First, open the Settings menu in the bottom left corner of Shuli >> Cloud Services >> WebDAV.

Then, fill in the WebDAV information provided by Zdir. For details, refer to the Zdir documentation: https://doc.xiaoz.top/web/#/10/45.

• Server Address: https://domain.com/dav
• Username: Your Zdir username
• Password: Your Zdir password
• Note Space: Select an existing space or create a new one
• Sync Mode: Choose based on your needs; xiaoz selected syncing every 1 minute

The configuration screenshot is as follows:

Returning to Zdir, you can see that Shuli automatically created a shuli directory and synchronized the note data to Zdir's WebDAV.

Note: Multiple notes require multiple WebDAV configurations, with one WebDAV corresponding to one note. If you are using Zdir's WebDAV, you can distinguish spaces by adding subdirectories to the server address, e.g., https://domain.com/dav/note.

Rich Directory Tree

As the name suggests, the directory tree is also rich text. Document titles and outlines automatically generate the directory tree while preserving rich text formatting. By editing document titles and outlines, you can create various styles of directory trees, such as image-text directories, emoji directories, and task directories.

Tables

Shuli's tables offer full-featured rich text editing capabilities, supporting basic Excel operations. They support embedded tables within cells, and nested tables can be used for page layout, similar to no-code web building. This allows you to design various page layouts as desired.

Bi-directional Links and Connections

Shuli's bi-directional linking differs from other linking note apps. Inspired by the "Find References" feature in IDEs, which is crucial for understanding and managing code, Shuli implements a similar capability at the text level with bi-directional data synchronization. Clicking a bi-directional link opens a full-featured editing panel that supports nesting and multiple open windows, allowing you to freely edit and organize linked notes.

User Experience

The WebDAV feature in Shuli is incredibly convenient, allowing for easy synchronization of note data while keeping full control over your data, which provides peace of mind regarding security. However, the software is still in its early growth stage and has some imperfections. For instance, it currently does not support code blocks, and Markdown functionality is somewhat lacking. Occasionally, minor bugs may occur. It is hoped that the developer will optimize these issues soon.

Additionally, Shuli does not yet support web access, and the mobile version is still under development, so it cannot be used on mobile devices for now. We can only look forward to future updates from the developer.

Conclusion

Although Shuli currently has some minor flaws, such as the lack of code block support and the need to improve Markdown functionality, it has already demonstrated powerful features and a convenient user experience as an emerging note-taking application. If you are interested, keep an eye on the developer's update dynamics. With time, Shuli is expected to become even more perfect and powerful.

Shuli Official Website: https://slinote.com/home

Zdir Official Website: https://www.zdir.pro/zh/