I'm trying to figure out what I need to learn to build a digital log for tracking my daily habits in a personalized way. I want it to be similar to the website Monkeytype, but instead of typing input, it would be about my habits. I hope that makes sense! There's just so much technical jargon in all the resources I find, and every time I look something up, I end up getting lost in more terminology.
6 Answers
If you're looking to create a desktop app, one official way is to use Visual Studio from Microsoft to develop a Windows application, typically using C#. On the other hand, you can also create a more text-based app using JavaScript in an HTML page. Just keep in mind, if you're going for desktop, you'll need to learn about file handling and a few other bits that can get a bit tricky.
If you’re confused about technical jargon, just take snippets of what you're struggling with and ask an AI tool like ChatGPT to break it down for you. Treat it like you’re learning for the first time and keep asking 'why' to every term until you get it. AI is a great resource for that!
You're making this sound more complicated than it is! Essentially, a personal website can just be a page you open in your browser with simple buttons like 'Did I exercise today?' that you can save as yes or no. For a desktop app, it's the same idea, it just runs as a normal application on your computer. You could start with Python and a library like Tkinter for a simple interface, or even learn some HTML for a web page. Just create a tiny version first and build from there!
There are countless ways to build an app, which can be overwhelming. If you only need it for personal use, all you need is a simple way to store your habits and a user interface that updates as things change. You can actually do this just with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Utilize localStorage to save your habits, and whenever you add or change something, you can update the page in real time. Alternatively, you could use IndexedDB for a more durable storage solution. If you're interested, I can help you with a one-page prototype to illustrate the concept!
To keep things straightforward: just focus on building what you need now. If you need assistance with the technical aspects or coding, feel free to share specifics, and I can assist you further!
This is actually a great beginner project! Instead of diving into something overly complicated, just focus on creating a simple form where you can input your data and maybe have it displayed back to you. Start by learning the basics of HTML and CSS for layout, and then add some JavaScript to save your data locally in your browser.
Totally agree! What you’re looking for is known as a CRUD app (Create, Read, Update, Delete). It's a fantastic beginner project for tracking things like habits!