Vibe Coding a Pace Studying App with Python in Simply 15 Minutes

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Image this: You have got an thought for a pace studying app. As an alternative of spending hours researching which Python modules and libraries to make use of, coding the completely different parts, and debugging syntax errors, you merely describe what you need in plain English. Inside minutes, you are tweaking font sizes and discussing person expertise enhancements along with your AI coding accomplice.

That is “vibe coding” — a collaborative strategy the place pure language directions assist get to practical purposes by iterative dialog. It is not about changing conventional coding expertise, however about accelerating the journey from idea to working prototype.

As we speak, I am going to stroll you thru how I constructed a totally practical RSVP (Fast Serial Visible Presentation) pace studying app in simply quarter-hour utilizing Python.

🔗 Hyperlink to the speed-reading app on GitHub

Going From Concept to Implementation

Say you will have an thought, and wish to vibe-code it. Should you already use ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, you may proceed to make use of the identical. I like to recommend you check out these prompts (or higher variations of the identical) to see what you’re capable of construct.

Step 1: Describe What You Need to Construct

You possibly can open with a easy request:

“I might prefer to create a command-line pace studying utility utilizing Python that implements RSVP (Fast Serial Visible Presentation) approach. The app ought to run on Ubuntu, show phrases sequentially at adjustable speeds, and embrace primary controls primarily based on keyboard inputs. Might you present a clear, well-structured implementation with correct error dealing with?”

No technical specs. No detailed necessities. Only a clear intent. That is the place vibe coding is tremendous cool — you begin with the whatnot the how.

This offers us a very good start line. From that preliminary immediate, it’s best to get a practical terminal-based pace studying utility:

class RSVPReader:
    def __init__(self, textual content, wpm=250, chunk_size=1):
        self.textual content = textual content
        self.wpm = wpm
        self.phrases = self._prepare_text()
        self.current_index = 0
        self.is_paused = False
        self.delay = 60.0 / (wpm * chunk_size)

The preliminary implementation contains:

• Textual content processing: Splitting content material into readable chunks
• Pace management: Configurable words-per-minute
• Interactive controls: Pause, resume, navigate, pace adjustment
• Progress monitoring: Visible suggestions with progress bars
• File assist: Learn from textual content recordsdata or direct enter

For the entire implementation of the category, you may test the rsvp_reader.py file.

Step 2: Improve Person Expertise

When requesting enhancements, we used descriptive, goal-oriented language:

“I might like to boost the visible presentation by centering the textual content show within the terminal window and growing the font emphasis for higher readability. Might you modify the code to make the most of the terminal’s heart space extra successfully whereas sustaining clear, skilled output?”

This prompted terminal manipulation:

def _get_terminal_size(self):
	"""Get terminal dimensions for responsive structure"""
	strive:
    import shutil
    cols, rows = shutil.get_terminal_size()
    return cols, rows
	besides OSError:
    	    return 80, 24  # Wise fallbacks

Now the speed-reading app nonetheless works. Nonetheless, we will add some remaining enhancements.

Step 3: Refine Person Interface Necessities As Wanted

Our remaining iteration request specifies the necessities clearly:

“I might prefer to refine the interface design with these particular necessities: 1) Show textual content within the heart 40% of the terminal display, 2) Cut back default studying pace for higher comprehension, 3) Create a static management interface that does not refresh, with solely the studying textual content updating dynamically, 4) Preserve clear borders across the energetic show space. Might you implement these adjustments whereas preserving all present performance?”

This resulted within the following terminal management:

def _get_display_area(self):
    """Get the 40% heart rectangle dimensions"""
    cols, rows = self._get_terminal_size()
    
    display_width = int(cols * 0.4)
    display_height = int(rows * 0.4)
    
    start_col = (cols - display_width) // 2
    start_row = (rows - display_height) // 2
    
    return start_col, start_row, display_width, display_height

def _draw_static_interface(self):
    """Draw the static interface"""
    # Controls keep fastened, solely phrases change

An Overview of the Technical Specifics

Now we have the next within the RSVP pace studying app we’ve constructed.

Threading for Responsive Controls

This methodology captures keyboard enter in real-time with out pausing the primary program by switching the terminal to uncooked mode and utilizing non-blocking I/O polling:

def _get_keyboard_input(self):
    """Non-blocking keyboard enter handler"""
    old_settings = termios.tcgetattr(sys.stdin)
    strive:
        tty.setraw(sys.stdin.fileno())
        whereas self.is_running:
            if choose.choose((sys.stdin), (), (), 0.1)(0):
                # Deal with real-time enter with out blocking

Good Terminal Positioning

This methodology positions textual content at precise coordinates on the terminal display utilizing ANSI escape sequences, the place the code strikes the cursor to a selected row and column earlier than printing the phrase:

def _display_word(self, phrase):
    # Use ANSI escape codes for exact positioning
    print(f'33({word_row};{word_start_col}H{large_word}')

Adaptive Pace Management

This dynamically adjusts studying pace primarily based on phrase size, giving customers 20% extra time for lengthy phrases (8+ characters) and 20% much less time for brief phrases (underneath 4 characters) to optimize comprehension:

# Longer phrases get extra show time
word_delay = self.delay
if len(current_word) > 8:
    word_delay *= 1.2
elif len(current_word) < 4:
    word_delay *= 0.8

So yeah, you may run the app, and see for your self the way it works.

First, you can also make it executable like so. Ensure you can add the shebang line on the high of the script:

$ chmod +x rsvp_reader.py

You possibly can run it like so:

$ ./rsvp_reader.py pattern.txt

You will discover extra particulars on the README file.

Conclusion

Our vibe coding session produced:

• A totally practical terminal-based pace studying app in Python
• Assist for variable studying speeds (50-1000+ WPM)
• Actual-time controls for pause, navigation, and pace adjustment
• Adaptive show that works on any terminal measurement
• Clear, distraction-free interface centered on the 40% heart space
• Good phrase timing primarily based on size and complexity

In quarter-hour, we went from a easy thought to a practical utility that somebody can really use.

Able to strive vibe coding your self? Begin with a easy thought, describe it in plain English, and see the place the dialog takes you. The code will observe.

Bala Priya C is a developer and technical author from India. She likes working on the intersection of math, programming, information science, and content material creation. Her areas of curiosity and experience embrace DevOps, information science, and pure language processing. She enjoys studying, writing, coding, and low! At the moment, she’s engaged on studying and sharing her data with the developer group by authoring tutorials, how-to guides, opinion items, and extra. Bala additionally creates participating useful resource overviews and coding tutorials.