I spent Saturday laying the groundwork for two new projects. It was a clean slate day. No debugging. No chasing down why a dependency version didn't match. Just writing the first lines of code for two distinct tools.
The first project is a web-based audio transcription browser. I pushed the initial commit to Topical-Audio-Transcription-Browser. It started with 4,582 new lines across 28 files. That is a solid foundation. I built the core structure right away. The index.html and main.js files are in place. The server.js file handles the backend logic. On the frontend, I set up the React components. There is an App.jsx file that ties everything together. I also added specific components for the user interface. The AudioVisualizer.jsx file handles the waveform display. The CollapsibleSection.jsx file manages the UI layout. The ConfidenceIndicator.jsx file shows transcription accuracy. These pieces form the backbone of the application. It is a complete starting point for a tool that lets you browse and interact with audio transcripts.
The second project is a desktop application. I called it unicorn-transcription. It is an Electron app. This means it will run as a standalone program on your computer. I pushed the initial commit to unicorn-transcription. It started with 4,970 new lines across 31 files. That is even more code than the web version. The structure is similar but adapted for desktop. The electron/main.js file handles the main process. The server.js file is still there for local processing. The frontend components are almost identical. The AudioVisualizer.jsx and CollapsibleSection.jsx files are present. This app will likely feel faster and more integrated with the operating system. I included a deploy.sh script in the root. That suggests I am thinking about distribution early. It is a good habit to keep in mind.
If I need to update the browser version, I do not touch the desktop code.
Both projects share a lot of DNA. They both use React for the UI. They both include audio visualization. They both handle transcription data. The difference is in the delivery. One lives in a browser. The other lives on the desktop. I split the work into two repos. This keeps the concerns separate. If I need to update the browser version, I do not touch the desktop code. If I need to fix a desktop-specific bug, I do not risk the web app. This is a clean separation.
It was a productive Saturday. I did not write a single line of documentation for the existing codebase. I did not fix any open issues. I did not merge any pull requests. I built two new things from scratch. The code is there. The structure is sound. The visualizers are ready. The servers are configured. Now I just need to make them work. That is the next step. For now, the repos are initialized. The foundation is laid.