brief_bird

Overview

brief_bird is a Flutter desktop app designed to help developers efficiently manage their side projects. It leverages SQLite (via Drift) for local data storage and features a Kanban-style UI to visualize project status at a glance. The app is lightweight, launches automatically on startup, and provides actionable insights into your project workflow.

Inspiration

As a developer, I often found it challenging to keep track of multiple side projects—some active, some paused, and others abandoned. Existing tools were either too complex or not tailored for local, developer-centric workflows. I built brief_bird to solve this: a simple, fast, and visually intuitive way to monitor, organize, and launch my projects directly from my desktop.

Features

• Kanban Board UI: Projects are displayed in columns by status—Unfinished/In Progress, Complete, Paused, Dead—making it easy to see what needs attention.
• Project Details: Each card shows the project name, status (color-coded), last launched date, and file path.
• Quick Actions: Launch projects in VS Code with one click, mark projects as dead, and update statuses seamlessly.
• Filtering & Search: Filter projects by status and search by name for fast navigation.
• Settings: Configure VS Code path and app preferences.
• Local & Fast: All data is stored locally using SQLite, ensuring privacy and instant access.

Technical Stack

• Flutter: For cross-platform desktop UI.
• Drift (SQLite): Local database for project management.
• Dart: Application logic and state management.
• VS Code Integration: Launch projects directly from the app.

Problems Solved

• Project Visibility: No more forgotten or abandoned side projects—everything is visible and organized.
• Workflow Efficiency: Launching and updating projects is fast, reducing context-switching and manual tracking.
• Status Tracking: Color-coded statuses and last launched dates help prioritize work and reflect real activity.
• Local-first Approach: No cloud dependencies; everything works offline and respects developer privacy.

How It Works

1. On startup, brief_bird scans and displays all your tracked projects in a Kanban board.
2. You can filter, search, and update project statuses.
3. Launch any project in VS Code instantly.
4. All changes are saved locally, and the UI updates in real time.

Screenshots & Demo

Getting Started

1. Clone the repository.
2. Run flutter pub get to install dependencies.
3. Launch the app with flutter run -d linux (or your platform).
4. Add your projects and start managing them!