RSVP Formatter

RSVP Formatter is a web application for rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) reading workflows. It allows importing text from multiple sources, building a structured reading outline, and reading in focused playback modes.

Author: David Clarkson

Overview

This project provides:

• A Source Workspace to prepare content from:
  • pasted text
  • uploaded files (txt, md, html, pdf, doc, docx, odt, epub)
  • one or more URLs
  • a built-in public-domain library
• A Reader Mode focused on reading flow with:
  • ORP word mode
  • Line flow mode
  • Chunk mode
• Outline extraction and synchronized navigation
• Playback controls with speed and style settings
• Theme presets and saved preferences

Current Scope

PWA/offline installation is intentionally disabled in this version. A PWA implementation can be added in a future iteration.

Requirements

• Node.js 20+ (recommended: latest LTS)
• npm 10+

Install

New machine

git clone https://github.com/Daclapo/RSVP-Formatter.git
cd rsvp-formatter
npm install

Update existing local copy

git pull
npm install

Run

Development:

npm run dev

Production build:

npm run build
npm run start

Lint:

npm run lint

How to Use

1) Prepare text in Source Workspace

• Paste: write directly in the editor
• Upload: import multiple files, review extracted results, then append or replace editor text
• URL: queue one URL per line, import all, then append or replace editor text
• Library: load a public-domain book

2) Configure playback

Use playback controls to set:

• reading mode (ORP / line flow / chunk)
• WPM speed
• font family and text metrics
• visual colors for reader background/text

3) Open Reader Mode

In Reader Mode you can:

• play and pause reading
• search lines
• jump via outline
• use Zen mode for distraction-free playback

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Space / K: play or pause
• ArrowLeft: previous step
• ArrowRight: next step
• [ and ]: decrease/increase WPM
• F (Reader Mode): toggle find
• Esc: exit Zen or close Reader panels

Project Structure

• src/app/page.tsx: main UI workflow (workspace + reader)
• src/components/: feature components
• src/components/ui/: reusable UI primitives
• src/lib/reader/parse.ts: parsing and outline mapping
• src/lib/reader/file-extract.ts: multi-format file extraction
• src/app/api/proxy/route.ts: URL content extraction endpoint

Notes on File Extraction

• docx, pdf, odt, and epub are parsed with best-effort extraction.
• Legacy binary doc files are best-effort and may require conversion to docx for better results.
• Complex formatting is flattened into reading text intentionally.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.