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ChroniNotes

ChroniNotes is an offline-first desktop productivity app for students and focused creators. It unifies tasks, notes, and timer workflows in one local-first workspace.

Your data stays on your machine.

Why This Project

Most productivity tools split notes, tasks, and focus timers into separate apps. ChroniNotes combines them so context stays together:

• Write notes while planning tasks.
• Run focus sessions without leaving your workspace.
• Keep all data local with no cloud lock-in.

Core Features

• Task management with todo, doing, and done workflow.
• Rich notes editor with folders/pages and auto-save.
• Pomodoro + stopwatch + custom timer modes.
• Syntax-highlighted code blocks in notes with language selection.
• Local file + SQLite persistence.

Tech Stack (What, How, Why)

Layer	Used	How It Is Used	Why It Is Used
Desktop shell	Electron	Runs renderer + main process with IPC bridge	Native desktop UX and OS integrations
Frontend	React 19 + TypeScript	SPA renderer for Dashboard/Tasks/Notes/Timer	Fast UI development with type safety
Build tool	Vite	Dev server + frontend build pipeline	Fast HMR and modern bundling
State	Zustand	Lightweight stores for tasks/notes/timer	Simple, predictable state updates
Notes editor	TipTap	Rich text editor extensions and commands	Highly extensible editor model
Code highlighting	lowlight + TipTap code block extension	Syntax colors in note code blocks	Good language highlighting inside notes
Database	better-sqlite3	Stores tasks and timer settings	Fast local persistence, no external service
Notes storage	JSON files in app data folder	Each note/folder stored as real files	Easy backup, portability, transparency
Styling	Tailwind CSS + custom CSS vars	Layout + theming + component styling	Rapid UI iteration with consistent theme

Architecture Overview

• backend/ is the Electron main process.
• frontend/ is the React renderer.
• Frontend talks to backend via window.electron.invoke(...) IPC calls.
• Tasks/timer settings go to SQLite.
• Notes content/tree live as files on disk.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js (LTS recommended)
• npm
• Git

Windows note: For native modules (better-sqlite3) you may need Visual Studio Build Tools with C++ workload.

Setup

git clone https://github.com/SamarthBhogre/ChroniNotes.git
cd ChroniNotes
npm run setup

npm run setup does:

• Install root dependencies.
• Install backend/frontend dependencies.
• Rebuild native modules for Electron.

Running the App

npm run dev

This starts:

• Vite frontend on http://localhost:5173
• Electron backend after frontend is ready

Useful Scripts

Command	Purpose
npm run dev	Run full app (frontend + Electron)
npm run setup	Install everything + rebuild native deps
npm run build	Build backend + frontend
npm run dev:frontend	Run only Vite frontend
npm run dev:backend	Build backend and launch Electron
npm run install:all	Install root, backend, frontend deps
npm run rebuild	Rebuild native Electron modules

Data Storage

Data Type	Storage
Tasks + timer settings	SQLite (chroninotes.db) in app data directory
Notes/folders	JSON files under app notes directory

Typical app-data locations:

• Windows: C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Roaming\<AppName>\
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/<AppName>/
• Linux: ~/.config/<AppName>/

Troubleshooting

1) App does not start after install

Try:

npm run install:all
npm run rebuild
npm run dev

Cause: Native module rebuild may have failed.

2) better-sqlite3 build errors on Windows

Fix:

• Install Visual Studio Build Tools.
• Enable Desktop development with C++ workload.
• Re-run npm run rebuild.

3) Port 5173 already in use

Fix:

• Stop other Vite processes.
• Or run frontend on another port manually:

cd frontend
npm run dev -- --port 5174

Then adjust backend loadURL if needed.

4) Toolbar/buttons in Notes feel inconsistent

Fix:

• Reload renderer window.
• Ensure toolbar focus/selection patches are on latest local changes.
• Restart with npm run dev.

5) Changes not showing in Electron

Fix:

• Hard reload the Electron renderer.
• Restart dev process fully (Ctrl+C then npm run dev).
• Clear cached compiled output if needed (backend/dist, frontend/dist) then rebuild.

Future Scope

Planned and high-impact roadmap ideas:

• Core scheduling engine for study blocks and task calendar planning.
• Contribution streak system across timer sessions and todo completion.
• Advanced analytics:
  • Focus trends by day/week
  • Task completion velocity
  • Note activity heatmaps
  • Session consistency scoring
• Goal-based planning with milestones and review cycles.
• Cross-device sync as optional encrypted mode.
• Smart insights and reminders based on behavior patterns.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feat/my-feature
3. Commit: git commit -m "feat: add my feature"
4. Push: git push origin feat/my-feature
5. Open a Pull Request.

License

MIT License.