Learn It

Idea: use version control to learn a topic.

Installing

• npm install -g learnit

Course Structure

The structure of a course must currently follow this basic Layout:

Course
|-- Module 1
  |-- Chapter 01
    |-- Step 01
    |-- Step 02
  |-- Chapter 02
  |-- Summary
|-- Module 2

In reality, Course represents the main branch of a git repo, a module represents a branch with the pattern module-{module}, a chapter represents a branch with the pattern {module}-chapter-{chapter}, and a step represents a commit on a chapter branch. There are particular commit messages that mark the starting and stopping commits of a chapter.

Taking a Course

You can download a course with learnit download <git-url>, or by cloning it yourself.

You can take a course by cloning a repository created or meant to be read with Learn It. Once you've cloned the repo, simply navigate to its top-level directory and run learnit start.

You may be encouraged to use up to 3 terminals, running learnit output snippets and learnit output commands in the other 2 terminals so that you can view the course script, code deltas and references, and commands the instructor has setup to run such as local servers, installs, or tests running.

TODO: What is to Come

For writers:

• learnit init - completed, might need to have it initialize some more things though.
• learnit new module - completed.
• learnit new chapter - completed.
• learnit new step - completed.
• learnit new command - completed. Added background and single run commands.
• learnit update step - completed.
• learnit revert step - completed.
• learnit delete module - completed. Need to delete config values.
• learnit delete chapter - completed. Need to delete config values.
• learnit finish chapter - completed.
• learnit summarize course - completed, reader needs update.
• learnit summarize module - completed, reader needs update.
• learnit summarize chapter - completed, reader needs update.
• learnit goto main - completed. May add confirmation of discarding changes.
• learnit goto module - completed. ""
• learnit goto chapter - completed. ""
• learnit list modules - completed.
• learnit list chapters - completed.
• learnit config - completed.
• .learnitignore - not started, eventually want multiple directory support, support module or chapter annotations
• .SCRIPT.md - started, prompt when creating module, chapter, and step, associate with module (not called script, uses branch name), close to completed.
• learnit save - completed.
• learnit upload - mostly complete, needs to search for unpushed branches and set upstream references.
• learnit rebase - not started, rebase all branches intelligently (for changes to main that need to be everywhere)
• learnit squash-scripts - not started, collapses all changes to scripts to single commit so it does not change dynamically.

For consumers:

• learnit start- mostly complete.
• learnit output - mostly done, watches location and starts/stops commands as necessary, reporting their output
• learnit reset - not started, erases all progress, resets to main
• learnit bookmark - not started, allows user to set up a quick return point
• learnit annotate - not started, allows user to save changes they made
• learnit settings - started, allows user to configure setup, such as soft stepping so that deltas are visible to outside programs, collapse horizontal spacing, collapse vertical spacing, etc.
• learnit download - rough draft complete, allows user to download courses and updates, synchronizes branch structure.
• mark course/module/chapter as complete - started, have mechanism for keeping track of progress

For both:

• contextual help - started, only render commands that are relevant to current situation