Description
Installation
FAQ
Download
Authors and credits
Description:
This is a client for MemAid, a flash card program with a twist, that makes your memorisation process more efficient by using a neural network to optimally schedule your reviews.
Other MemAid clients require you to fire up the software and sit down for a dedicated study session. Although this client can be used in the same way, it's main purpose is somewhat different. It's designed to blend discreetly into your desktop wallpaper, using the SuperKaramba technology. The widget will unobtrusively present you with a new item for review from time to time, and leave the answer on the screen for a configurable period, so that you can review it passively if you stumble upon it by moving windows.
The widget is discreet enough that you can ignore it completely if you wish, yet it is always there if you have a few seconds to spare to do a microrevision.
Installation:
Type
python setup.py install as root. Copy the memaid_superkaramba directory to whereever you keep your SuperKaramba themes, run superkaramba and point it to memaid_superkaramba.theme.
(Make sure you have PyQt installed, as well as SuperKaramba version 0.33 or later. To import XML, PyXML needs to be installed too.)
FAQ:
Q: How do I create or edit question databases?
A: Use PyQt MemAid for that, which is included. You can launch it by clicking on the arrow icon in the top right. Note that PyQt MemAid can also be run stand-alone by typing
pyqt_memaid.
Q: Why do I always need to click on 'Click to get new question' to get to the next question?
A: By default, the widget leaves the answer on the screen for a configurable amount of time, so that it's there for passive review. If you don't want this behaviour, click on 'Set delay between questions' from the right-click configure menu and set the delay to zero.
Q: It seems I have to double click to use the widget. How annoying!
A: This means that the widget is in a mode where single clicking is used to drag it across the screen. Activate 'Toggle locked position' from the right-click menu and you should be fine.
Q: How do I import data from a different MemAid client or from version 0.1 of the SuperKaramba widget?
A: If your client supports it, export your data as XML which you can import in PyQt MemAid. Alternatively, use the convert.py script from the util directory, e.g. to combine two old databases into one XML file with different categories:
python convert.py math/elements.txt math items.xml
python convert.py -append bio/elements.txt bio items.xml
Q: Can I add pictures to questions or anwers?
A: Sure, you can use ordinary html-syntax for that:
<img src="/home/jdoe/.memaid/mona-lisa.jpg">
Be sure to specify the full path, though. You can also use HTML tags to change the colour, formatting and style of your text.
Q: Questions or answers are sometimes not well centred vertically. How do I solve that?
A: There is a bug in SuperKaramba0.33 and 0.34, for which I've submitted a patch. It is included in CVS, so it should be in SuperKaramba 0.35.
Download:
The latest MemAid SuperKaramba widget can be found on the MemAid website.
Authors and credits:
PyQt MemAid and the MemAid SuperKaramba widget: Peter Bienstman
Memaid core code: David Calinski
Also thanks to the person who designed the background for the Liquid Weather Superkaramba theme, on which the background of the Memaid widget is based.
PyQt MemAid and the MemAid SuperKaramba widget are licensed under the GPL.