FocusFlow Dev Log #1: Building the Timer Core
#focusflow#architecture#swiftui
# FocusFlow Dev Log #1: Building the Timer Core
## This Week's Progress
Built the foundation of FocusFlow's Pomodoro timer using SwiftUI and Combine.
### Architecture Decisions
**Timer State Management**
```swift
@Published var timerState: TimerState = .idle
@Published var secondsRemaining: Int = 1500 // 25 minutes
```
Used Combine's `Timer.publish` for accurate countdown. Had to handle edge cases around:
- App backgrounding
- Timer precision on older devices
- State restoration after force quit
**Background Audio**
The trickiest part was keeping the timer running when the app is backgrounded. iOS has strict rules here. Solution:
- Background audio capability
- Silent audio track to keep app alive
- Local notifications for timer completion
### UI Implementation
Clean, minimal design with:
- Large circular progress indicator
- Start/Pause/Reset controls
- Interval configuration (work/break durations)
SwiftUI's `Canvas` API made the circular timer beautiful and performant.
### Metrics
- **Lines of code**: ~800
- **Time spent**: 12 hours
- **Tests written**: 15 unit tests
- **Crashes**: 0 (so far!)
### Next Week
- Add ambient soundscapes (rain, cafe noise, forest)
- Implement audio mixing
- TestFlight beta to 10 users
## Lessons Learned
1. **Background execution is hard**: iOS's strict background policies require creative solutions
2. **Combine is powerful**: Once you grok publishers, timer logic becomes elegant
3. **Test early**: Unit tests caught 3 timing bugs before they became issues
Stay tuned for next week's update on audio implementation!
## This Week's Progress
Built the foundation of FocusFlow's Pomodoro timer using SwiftUI and Combine.
### Architecture Decisions
**Timer State Management**
```swift
@Published var timerState: TimerState = .idle
@Published var secondsRemaining: Int = 1500 // 25 minutes
```
Used Combine's `Timer.publish` for accurate countdown. Had to handle edge cases around:
- App backgrounding
- Timer precision on older devices
- State restoration after force quit
**Background Audio**
The trickiest part was keeping the timer running when the app is backgrounded. iOS has strict rules here. Solution:
- Background audio capability
- Silent audio track to keep app alive
- Local notifications for timer completion
### UI Implementation
Clean, minimal design with:
- Large circular progress indicator
- Start/Pause/Reset controls
- Interval configuration (work/break durations)
SwiftUI's `Canvas` API made the circular timer beautiful and performant.
### Metrics
- **Lines of code**: ~800
- **Time spent**: 12 hours
- **Tests written**: 15 unit tests
- **Crashes**: 0 (so far!)
### Next Week
- Add ambient soundscapes (rain, cafe noise, forest)
- Implement audio mixing
- TestFlight beta to 10 users
## Lessons Learned
1. **Background execution is hard**: iOS's strict background policies require creative solutions
2. **Combine is powerful**: Once you grok publishers, timer logic becomes elegant
3. **Test early**: Unit tests caught 3 timing bugs before they became issues
Stay tuned for next week's update on audio implementation!