# Zeal — Offline Documentation Browser for Developers

> Zeal is a free offline documentation browser inspired by Dash. It gives developers instant access to 200+ docsets for languages, frameworks, and tools without an internet connection.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# Zeal — Offline Documentation Browser for Developers

## Quick Use
```bash
# Install on Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install zeal

# Install on macOS via Homebrew
brew install --cask zeal

# Install on Fedora
sudo dnf install zeal

# Launch and download docsets from the built-in manager
zeal
```

## Introduction
Zeal is a free, open-source offline documentation browser available on Linux, Windows, and macOS. Inspired by the macOS-only Dash app, Zeal brings the same concept of instant, searchable developer docs to every platform without requiring an internet connection.

## What Zeal Does
- Provides instant fuzzy search across 200+ downloadable docsets
- Supports documentation for languages like Python, JavaScript, Rust, Go, and C++
- Includes framework docs for React, Django, Rails, Qt, and many more
- Integrates with editors via plugins for Emacs, Vim, VS Code, and Sublime Text
- Allows creating custom docsets from any HTML documentation

## Architecture Overview
Zeal is a Qt-based C++ desktop application that renders documentation using an embedded WebKit or Chromium engine. Docsets follow the Dash docset format, which bundles HTML files with a SQLite index for fast search. The application downloads and manages docsets locally, with all searching performed against the SQLite index for sub-millisecond results.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install from your OS package manager or download binaries from the releases page
- Open Preferences to browse and download docsets by category
- Configure a custom docset feed URL for private or internal documentation
- Generate custom docsets using doc2dash, dashing, or any Dash-compatible generator
- Set a global hotkey to summon the search window from any application

## Key Features
- Completely offline after initial docset download
- Cross-platform support for Linux, Windows, and macOS
- Fuzzy search with type-ahead results across all installed docsets
- Editor integration brings context-aware doc lookup into your workflow
- Dash-compatible docset format with a large community library

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Dash** — the original offline doc browser but macOS-only and requires a paid license
- **DevDocs** — web-based documentation aggregator but requires internet access
- **man pages** — built-in Unix docs but limited to system tools, no framework coverage
- **tldr-pages** — concise command examples but not full API documentation
- **Kite** — AI-powered code completions with docs but discontinued

## FAQ
**Q: Is Zeal a clone of Dash?**
A: Zeal is inspired by Dash and uses the same docset format, but it is an independent open-source project built from scratch for cross-platform support.

**Q: Can I use Dash docsets in Zeal?**
A: Yes. Zeal uses the same docset format as Dash, so any Dash-compatible docset works in Zeal.

**Q: Does Zeal auto-update docsets?**
A: Zeal notifies you when updates are available. You can trigger updates manually from the docset manager.

**Q: How do I add documentation for an internal library?**
A: Generate a Dash-compatible docset using tools like doc2dash (Python) or dashing (Go), then add it as a local docset in Zeal.

## Sources
- https://github.com/zealdocs/zeal
- https://zealdocs.org/

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-07fd910a
Author: Script Depot