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Picture this: You have an idea for a speed reading app. Instead of spending hours researching which Python modules and libraries to use, coding the different components, and debugging syntax errors, you simply describe what you want in plain English. Within minutes, you’re tweaking font sizes and discussing user experience improvements with your AI coding partner.
This is “vibe coding” — a collaborative approach where natural language instructions help get to functional applications through iterative conversation. It’s not about replacing traditional coding skills, but about accelerating the journey from concept to working prototype.
Today, I’ll walk you through how I built a fully functional RSVP (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation) speed reading app in just 15 minutes using Python.
🔗 Link to the speed-reading app on GitHub
Going From Idea to Implementation
Say you have an idea, and would like to vibe-code it. If you already use ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, you can continue to use the same. I recommend you try out these prompts (or better versions of the same) to see what you’re able to build.
Step 1: Describe What You Want to Build
You can open with a simple request:
“I’d like to create a command-line speed reading application using Python that implements RSVP (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation) technique. The app should run on Ubuntu, display words sequentially at adjustable speeds, and include basic controls based on keyboard inputs. Could you provide a clean, well-structured implementation with proper error handling?”
No technical specifications. No detailed requirements. Just a clear intent. This is where vibe coding is super cool — you start with the what, not the how.
This gives us a good starting point. From that initial prompt, you should get a functional terminal-based speed reading application:
class RSVPReader:
def __init__(self, text, wpm=250, chunk_size=1):
self.text = text
self.wpm = wpm
self.words = self._prepare_text()
self.current_index = 0
self.is_paused = False
self.delay = 60.0 / (wpm * chunk_size)
The initial implementation includes:
- Text processing: Splitting content into readable chunks
- Speed control: Configurable words-per-minute
- Interactive controls: Pause, resume, navigate, speed adjustment
- Progress tracking: Visual feedback with progress bars
- File support: Read from text files or direct input
For the complete implementation of the class, you can check the rsvp_reader.py file.
Step 2: Enhance User Experience
When requesting improvements, we used descriptive, goal-oriented language:
“I’d like to enhance the visual presentation by centering the text display in the terminal window and increasing the font emphasis for better readability. Could you modify the code to utilize the terminal’s center area more effectively while maintaining clean, professional output?”
This prompted terminal manipulation:
def _get_terminal_size(self):
"""Get terminal dimensions for responsive layout"""
try:
import shutil
cols, rows = shutil.get_terminal_size()
return cols, rows
except OSError:
return 80, 24 # Sensible fallbacks
Now the speed-reading app still works. However, we can add some final improvements.
Step 3: Refine User Interface Requirements As Needed
Our final iteration request specifies the requirements clearly:
“I’d like to refine the interface design with these specific requirements: 1) Display text in the center 40% of the terminal screen, 2) Reduce default reading speed for better comprehension, 3) Create a static control interface that doesn’t refresh, with only the reading text updating dynamically, 4) Maintain clean borders around the active display area. Could you implement these changes while preserving all existing functionality?”
This resulted in the following terminal control:
def _get_display_area(self):
"""Get the 40% center rectangle dimensions"""
cols, rows = self._get_terminal_size()
display_width = int(cols * 0.4)
display_height = int(rows * 0.4)
start_col = (cols - display_width) // 2
start_row = (rows - display_height) // 2
return start_col, start_row, display_width, display_height
def _draw_static_interface(self):
"""Draw the static interface"""
# Controls stay fixed, only words change
An Overview of the Technical Specifics
We have the following in the RSVP speed reading app we’ve built.
Threading for Responsive Controls
This method captures keyboard input in real-time without pausing the main program by switching the terminal to raw mode and using non-blocking I/O polling:
def _get_keyboard_input(self):
"""Non-blocking keyboard input handler"""
old_settings = termios.tcgetattr(sys.stdin)
try:
tty.setraw(sys.stdin.fileno())
while self.is_running:
if select.select([sys.stdin], [], [], 0.1)[0]:
# Handle real-time input without blocking
Smart Terminal Positioning
This method positions text at exact coordinates on the terminal screen using ANSI escape sequences, where the code moves the cursor to a specific row and column before printing the word:
def _display_word(self, word):
# Use ANSI escape codes for precise positioning
print(f'\033[{word_row};{word_start_col}H{large_word}')
Adaptive Speed Control
This dynamically adjusts reading speed based on word length, giving users 20% more time for long words (8+ characters) and 20% less time for short words (under 4 characters) to optimize comprehension:
# Longer words get more display time
word_delay = self.delay
if len(current_word) > 8:
word_delay *= 1.2
elif len(current_word) < 4:
word_delay *= 0.8
So yeah, you can run the app, and see for yourself how it works.
First, you can make it executable like so. Make sure you can add the shebang line at the top of the script:
$ chmod +x rsvp_reader.py
You can run it like so:
$ ./rsvp_reader.py sample.txt
You can find more details on the README file.
Conclusion
Our vibe coding session produced:
- A fully functional terminal-based speed reading app in Python
- Support for variable reading speeds (50-1000+ WPM)
- Real-time controls for pause, navigation, and speed adjustment
- Adaptive display that works on any terminal size
- Clean, distraction-free interface focused on the 40% center area
- Smart word timing based on length and complexity
In 15 minutes, we went from a simple idea to a functional application that someone can actually use.
Ready to try vibe coding yourself? Start with a simple idea, describe it in plain English, and see where the conversation takes you. The code will follow.
Bala Priya C is a developer and technical writer from India. She likes working at the intersection of math, programming, data science, and content creation. Her areas of interest and expertise include DevOps, data science, and natural language processing. She enjoys reading, writing, coding, and coffee! Currently, she’s working on learning and sharing her knowledge with the developer community by authoring tutorials, how-to guides, opinion pieces, and more. Bala also creates engaging resource overviews and coding tutorials.