Quick Note

Quick Note allows users to efficiently organize their notes in two distinct modes: Notes for sticky notes that can be pinned to the desktop, and Notebooks for creating more structured notes with a rich text editor. The application is designed to provide both quick note-taking and long-term note management within a single, seamless experience. Built with TypeScript, Electron-Vite for the frontend, and Python with FastAPI for the backend.

🚀 Features

• Sticky Notes: Quickly create and organize sticky notes on your desktop with Ctrl+Alt+N. These notes can be moved around like physical post-it notes, providing an easy way to jot down quick ideas or reminders.
• Notebooks: Create detailed, formatted notes within notebooks, utilizing a rich text editor powered by Quill. Notebooks allow for better long-term note management, offering advanced formatting options and organization.
• Settings: Customize your experience with various options to tailor the application to your needs. Color Theme Select your preferred color theme for sticky notes to match your personal style or workspace aesthetics. App Theme Switch the overall app theme to align with your visual preferences.
• CRUD Operations: Easily create, edit, and delete both sticky notes and notebook entries.
• Standalone Installer: The application comes with a Windows .exe installer that combines both the backend and frontend into a single, user-friendly program.

⚡️ Technologies Used

• TypeScript and Electron.js: For creating the frontend.
• Python and FastAPI: For handling the backend.
• Inno Setup: To build the installer.

💡 What I Learned

Developing Quick Note helped me expand my knowledge in several areas:

• FastAPI: Creating routes for CRUD operations.
• Electron.js: Building a functional and efficient desktop frontend.
• PyInstaller: Converting the Python backend into a standalone executable.
• Exe Combination: Integrating backend and frontend executables into a single application.
• Inno Setup: Creating an installer for user-friendly distribution.

🖥️ Shortcut Hints

• Restore Main Window: If the main window is minimized, press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N to restore it.
• Create a StickyNote Window: Use Ctrl + Alt + N to open a Sticky Note anytime.
• Open the New Note Window: Press Ctrl + N to open the input window.
• Close New Note Window: Press Esc to close the "New Note" window.
• Submit Note: If you have filled out the details in the "New Note" window, press Ctrl + Enter to create the note.
• Save New Note: Press Ctrl + S to save the current note or notebook.

📦 Installation

Download and Install

To install Quick Note on your system, download the setup file from the latest release:
➡️ Download Latest version of Quick Note

Once downloaded, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.

Running the Application

After installation:

1. Launch Quick Note from your desktop or start menu.
2. Have a look at the Shortcut Hints.

Local Development

To run the project locally, follow these steps:

Backend

Navigate to the backend folder and install dependencies:

cd backend
pip install -r requirements.txt

Frontend

Navigate to the frontend folder and install dependencies:

 cd frontend
 npm install

Run Local Development Server

Ensure you are in the frontend folder of the project and run the following command:

  npm run dev

🔧 Known Issues and Future Imporvements

• Platform Support: Currently, builds are only tested on Windows.
• Build Configuration: Build scripts for non-Windows systems require further configuration and testing.

Resources

• Electron Documentation
• Electron-Vite Documentation
• FastAPI Documentation
• PyInstaller Documentation
• Inno Setup
• Quill