What is this?
Spectacle is a React-based presentation library: you write sleek slide decks as JSX components, with the ability to live-demo your code during the talk.
Spectacle is a React-based presentation library: you write sleek slide decks as JSX components, with the ability to live-demo your code during the talk.Is this an app like Keynote, or do I build slides in code?It is a library, not a standalone app. Slides are React components you write in code, and the finished deck runs as a web page rather than a .pptx file.
It is a library, not a standalone app. Slides are React components you write in code, and the finished deck runs as a web page rather than a .pptx file.If I want to try it, where do I start?Follow the docs site linked in the README — its source lives in the repo's docs folder. The monorepo also ships runnable examples (JS, TypeScript, MD, MDX and a one-page setup).
Follow the docs site linked in the README — its source lives in the repo's docs folder. The monorepo also ships runnable examples (JS, TypeScript, MD, MDX and a one-page setup).Do I need to know React to build a deck?Yes — slides are React components written in JSX, so React familiarity is the real prerequisite. The repo itself is a pnpm monorepo requiring Node.js >= 22.
Yes — slides are React components written in JSX, so React familiarity is the real prerequisite. The repo itself is a pnpm monorepo requiring Node.js >= 22.Is it alive, or should I expect an abandoned project?It is alive: the README marks it Active, with Formidable working on it for the foreseeable future. The real catch is that slides are code — there is no GUI editor.
It is alive: the README marks it Active, with Formidable working on it for the foreseeable future. The real catch is that slides are code — there is no GUI editor.Where do I actually present the deck when it's done?In a web browser — decks are React apps, so there is no PowerPoint or Keynote file to carry around. The README does not mention PDF or PPTX export.
In a web browser — decks are React apps, so there is no PowerPoint or Keynote file to carry around. The README does not mention PDF or PPTX export.Is there a scaffolding tool to start a deck quickly?Yes — the repo's CI includes a create-spectacle workflow, matching the README's mention of related tools alongside the core package; the docs site is the place for exact commands.
Yes — the repo's CI includes a create-spectacle workflow, matching the README's mention of related tools alongside the core package; the docs site is the place for exact commands.Can I write slides in Markdown instead of JSX?Yes — the monorepo has dedicated Markdown and MDX examples with their own start scripts (pnpm start:md, start:mdx), so deck content can stay in .md/.mdx files.
Yes — the monorepo has dedicated Markdown and MDX examples with their own start scripts (pnpm start:md, start:mdx), so deck content can stay in .md/.mdx files.How does live-coding in slides work?Live demoing code is Spectacle's signature feature: slides can show code you actually run while presenting, instead of pasted screenshots. The docs site covers the details.
Live demoing code is Spectacle's signature feature: slides can show code you actually run while presenting, instead of pasted screenshots. The docs site covers the details.What are similar projects?mdx-deck, nodeppt, pdfcn, bolt-slides, marp, open-slide, hooks, nuqs
mdx-deck, nodeppt, pdfcn, bolt-slides, marp, open-slide, hooks, nuqsWhich topics is it in?slides, jsx, presentation, reactjs, markdown, web-development, react, free, npm, frontend, library, typescript
slides, jsx, presentation, reactjs, markdown, web-development, react, free, npm, frontend, library, typescript