Introducing SimpleFlash

I generally use RapidRote for learning vocab, but it's missing a lot of features I would like. One feature I really want is the ability to simply watch words flash by on the screen... something like a screen saver. I want this for the following reasons: (1) My wife and I have a baby, so I spend a lot of time each day with no hands available (2) It would be nice to let vocab drills run in the background while I'm doing other work on my computer and (3) There is a lot of wasted time in the classroom when my mind isn't actively engaged with Arabic. I want a discreet way to study vocab during those times. Since I have a laptop in front of me all day, an automatic flashcard program would provide that.

Because I'm obsessive about undertaking new projects, and because I'm a hobbyist programmer, I went ahead and wrote a program myself. I call it SimpleFlash. It's quick. It's dirty. It has few bells and whistles. But it does exactly what I intended it to: it cycles through flashcards at a pace you determine, while you kick back and watch.



You can download SimpleFlash at this link. Note that you need Microsoft NET 3.0 or 3.5 installed for the program to run. This is usually included automatically with windows updates, but if your computer doesn't have it (you'll know if SimpleFlash gives you an error message when you start), you can download .NET 3.5 at this link. What is .NET? It's a sort of interface between a software application and Windows that does a lot of the hard, under-the-hood work. A lot of newer programs require it, so it's worth your time to download.

So how does SimpleFlash work? It's easy. Put your vocab words in Excel: one language in column A, one language in Column B. You can optionally put category names in Column C. Load the spreadsheet in SimpleFlash, and it will start cycling through your flashcards. There is a "Help" icon on the toolbar that gives you a few more details.

Enjoy. Let me know what you think, and let me know if you encounter any bugs.