Why I built a spaced-repetition app for coding drills
I used to read a solution, nod, and move on. A week later I could not write the same thing from scratch. Understanding something while it is on the screen and being able to produce it yourself are different skills, and only the second one helps in an interview or on a real project. That is why I built Daily Coding, a free web app of short drills for JavaScript/TypeScript, SQL and page building.…
The author explains how they previously struggled with understanding coding concepts they had simply read about. They would nod along to solutions, only to forget how to write them from scratch a week later. This led them to develop Daily Coding, a free web app offering short coding drills in JavaScript/TypeScript, SQL, and page building. Each drill is concise enough to be completed in a minute or two, and the app utilizes spaced repetition to reinforce learning.
When a user answers a drill correctly, it returns later to be attempted again. If the answer is incorrect, the app first provides a hint to guide the user towards the right solution. If the user remains stuck, they receive a step-by-step explanation of how to arrive at the correct answer. An example drill involves predicting the output of a JavaScript code snippet that utilizes the map and filter array methods.
The answer is [4, 6], but common wrong answers are [2, 3] or [6], indicating a misunderstanding of the order in which the methods are applied.
The author emphasizes that the drills focus on fundamental coding concepts, which are often known but can be difficult to execute without assistance. They are seeking feedback on various aspects of the app, such as the appropriate size and complexity of the drills, the effectiveness of the explanations, and any missing basics that users would like to practice.
The author also asks if the drills feel honest and representative of real coding challenges, especially for users with extensive experience. Daily Coding is free and ad-free, and interested users can try it out at https://daily-coding-drills.netlify.app.
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