Storage

massCode stores your data locally on your computer. Snippets and notes live in a Markdown Vault, so your content stays as plain Markdown files on disk instead of being locked into a cloud service or a private database format.

Markdown Vault

Why it matters

• Your data is just files. Each snippet and note is a .md file with frontmatter metadata. You can read, edit, move, and back up everything with any text editor or file manager.
• No vendor lock-in. If you stop using massCode, your content still remains readable as plain files.
• Git-friendly. Put the vault in a Git repository, track changes, and sync it through your normal workflow.
• Cloud-sync friendly. iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, or Syncthing all work because the vault is just a folder on disk.
• Live updates. massCode watches the vault in real time, so external file changes appear in the app automatically.

WARNING

Vault files are stored as plain text. Do not store passwords, API tokens, private keys, or other secrets in snippets, notes, HTTP requests, or HTTP environments if your vault is synced, shared, or committed to Git. Use an external secret manager for real credentials.

How it works

The vault mirrors your folder structure. Each folder becomes a directory on disk, and each snippet or note becomes a .md file inside it. Metadata such as language, tags, and ordering is stored in frontmatter, while .state.json stores UI state like expanded folders and sort order.

You can change the vault location in Settings → Storage.

File Name Restrictions

Because Markdown Vault maps folders, snippets, and notes directly to files and directories on disk, massCode applies a small set of cross-platform naming rules.

Names cannot contain < > : " / \ | ? * # [ ] ^, cannot start or end with ., and cannot use Windows reserved names such as CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM1, or LPT1. These rules keep filenames portable across Windows, macOS, and Linux while also avoiding conflicts with Obsidian-style Markdown links and block references in shared vault workflows.

Migration from SQLite

If you are upgrading from an older version of massCode that used SQLite storage, you can import your existing data into Markdown Vault.

• Open Settings → Storage
• Choose the import option
• Select your old massCode.db file

massCode converts your folders and snippets to Markdown Vault format.

Migration from v3 db.json

massCode v5 does not read db.json directly. If you are upgrading from massCode v3, first migrate the v3 JSON database through massCode v4, then migrate from v4 to v5.

The supported upgrade path is:

v3 db.json -> v4 massCode.db -> v5 Markdown Vault

Before upgrading, make a backup copy of your existing db.json.

To migrate from v3:

• Install and open massCode v4.7.1
• Confirm that your snippets are visible in v4
• Confirm that v4 created a massCode.db file
• Install and open massCode v5
• Import the massCode.db file into Markdown Vault from Settings -> Storage

If you still have only db.json, massCode v5 cannot import it on its own. Restore your db.json backup and complete the v4 migration step first.