DocBreak - Reader Breakpoints

Introduction

This is my first blog ever, so if I end up making any mistakes, please bear with me.

Anyways, here it goes!

Here's a quick background: I am a core CSE student in my third year, and I became interested in one thing at an early age—how to solve problems. What are the different means to solve them, and how well can we make non-complex solutions for the problems?

When I tell people that I am doing CSE, Most reply with "Oh, you're studying Computer Science? So you just write code all day?" Well, that might be true to a certain extent, but it isn’t completely true !! Computer Science is a route we take to solve complex problems using a combination of mathematical reasoning, theoretical foundations, and programming skills. While coding is certainly important, it's just one tool in a much larger toolkit.

I've recently stumbled upon the concept of cloud computing and AWS, which has sparked a new area of interest for me. Cloud computing, particularly through platforms like AWS, offers a vast array of services that enable developers to build, deploy, and manage applications with greater efficiency and flexibility. This technology allows us to access computing resources on demand, scale applications seamlessly, and innovate without the constraints of traditional infrastructure.

What is Doc-Break Reader Breakpoint and Why I Created It

One day, I was engrossed in a lengthy article about an AI application. The article was so extensive that I couldn't finish it in a single day. This led me to ponder the idea of a browser extension that could assist readers in navigating long documents. Imagine an extension that allows users to set breakpoints or markers on specific sections of text, enabling them to highlight important points and easily return to them later, whether on the same day or at another time. And here's the exciting part: these breakpoints persist even after you close the browser tab where you were reading the article or document. Isn't that fascinating? This thought inspired me to create the DocBreak extension, which is now available as an add-on in the Edge marketplace. It would have been on Chrome too, if only it were free! So to summarize!

DocBreak revolutionizes how you read long web documents by allowing you to place visual bookmarks (breakpoints) anywhere on a page. It's perfect for research, documentation, articles, and any lengthy online content.

Now, let's talk about the features and other details!

Key Features of DocBreak: Enhancing Your Reading Experience

DocBreak is designed to revolutionize the way you interact with long documents and articles online. Here’s a closer look at its standout features:

• Visual Numbered Breakpoints with Elegant Design: DocBreak allows you to set visually appealing numbered breakpoints throughout your document. This feature ensures that you can easily identify and navigate to important sections with a simple glance.

• One-Click Navigation to Any Marked Section: With just one click, you can jump directly to any section you’ve marked. This seamless navigation feature saves time and enhances your reading efficiency.

• Persistent Storage: One of the most impressive aspects of DocBreak is its ability to retain your breakpoints even after you reload the page. This means you can close your browser and return later without losing your place.

• Beautiful Popup Interface with Live Breakpoint Management: The user-friendly popup interface allows you to manage your breakpoints in real-time. You can add, edit, or remove breakpoints effortlessly, ensuring a smooth reading experience.

• Keyboard Shortcuts for Power Users: For those who prefer using the keyboard, DocBreak offers convenient shortcuts like Ctrl+Shift+B and Ctrl+Shift+C, making it even easier to manage your breakpoints without interrupting your workflow.

• Right-Click to Delete Individual Breakpoints: If you need to remove a specific breakpoint, simply right-click on it. This intuitive feature provides quick and easy management of your reading markers.

• Toast Notifications for a Smooth User Experience: To keep you informed without being intrusive, DocBreak uses toast notifications. These subtle alerts enhance your interaction with the extension, ensuring you’re always aware of your actions.

Perfect For:

• Students Researching Academic Papers: Easily manage and navigate through complex academic texts, making your study sessions more productive.

• Professionals Reading Technical Documentation: Streamline your workflow by marking and revisiting crucial sections of technical documents.

• Anyone Consuming Long-Form Content Online: Whether it’s a lengthy article or a detailed report, DocBreak helps you keep track of important information.

• Developers Navigating Complex Codebases: Simplify your coding process by marking key areas in extensive codebases for easy reference.

• Journalists Working with Lengthy Articles: Enhance your research and writing process by efficiently managing large volumes of information

Modern Design

DocBreak embraces a sleek and contemporary design philosophy, featuring Glassmorphism UI with smooth animations that enhance the user experience. The use of gradient backgrounds and hover effects adds a touch of elegance, while the responsive design ensures that DocBreak looks great on any device. Intuitive icons and clear visual feedback make navigation effortless and enjoyable.

Privacy Focused

At DocBreak, privacy is a top priority. The extension is designed with a commitment to user privacy, ensuring no data collection or tracking. All breakpoints are stored locally on your device, eliminating the need for external servers or cloud storage. As an open-source project, DocBreak offers transparency and peace of mind to its users.

Click here! To check it out, here are some images showing the UI and how breakpoints appear.

My Learnings

I was able to significantly enhance my understanding of the JavaScript language, gaining deeper insights into its various features and functionalities. Additionally, I acquired practical, hands-on experience in how developers host their creations on Microsoft Edge, which provided me with a comprehensive view of the deployment process on this platform. Furthermore, I became quite proficient in the JSON language format, learning how to effectively use it for data interchange and configuration purposes.

Challenges I Faced During Development

Developing a working logic for this project proved to be quite challenging. Initially, I struggled to devise a solution, but after some brainstorming and trial and error, I finally managed to create a viable logic. However, implementing this logic was no easy task. During testing in developer mode on Microsoft Edge, numerous bugs surfaced, complicating the process further. Despite these hurdles, I found inspiration in a quote by an anonymous developer I stumbled upon online:

It's not a bug, it's a feature.

This realization motivated me to keep pushing forward. After numerous attempts, I finally managed to see my extension appear on Edge in testing mode. However, some features were still not functioning correctly. For instance, the breakpoints weren't forming as expected, and it was impossible to delete them by right-clicking. Navigating between breakpoints was also problematic because some shortcuts I implemented conflicted with Edge's existing shortcuts, which I hadn't considered. After several more tries, I succeeded in creating a working version of my extension in testing mode. Publishing it went smoothly, which was a relief to write, unlike my experience with my VSCode extension, but that's a story for another day.

Future of DocBreak

In the future, I plan to enhance the user interface of DocBreak further, making it even more visually appealing and user-friendly. I aim to improve the appearance of the breakpoints, possibly by using an arrow (→) to make them more visually distinct. Additionally, I will work on increasing their accuracy to ensure a better user experience. Stay updated by checking the GitHub repository here for the latest developments and improvements.

console.log(“Good Bye and see you next time!!”);