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Leitner

A terminal-based flashcard application implementing the Leitner spaced repetition system, written in Rust.

What is the Leitner System?

The Leitner system is a proven method for learning and memorizing information using flashcards. It uses spaced repetition to maximize learning efficiency:

  • Cards are organized into multiple queues (boxes) with increasing capacity
  • When you answer correctly, the card moves to the next queue with longer intervals
  • When you answer incorrectly, the card returns to the first queue for more frequent review
  • Cards that reach the final queue are considered "learned"

This implementation uses 5 queues with capacities based on physical card thickness (0.5mm), simulating a physical Leitner box:

  • Queue 1: 1 cm (20 cards)
  • Queue 2: 2 cm (40 cards)
  • Queue 3: 5 cm (100 cards)
  • Queue 4: 8 cm (160 cards)
  • Queue 5: 14 cm (280 cards)

Features

  • 📚 Interactive terminal UI for studying flashcards
  • 📥 Import flashcards from CSV files
  • 💾 Automatic progress saving in JSON format
  • 🔄 Spaced repetition algorithm
  • 🎯 Queue-based learning system
  • 🐍 Python utility for converting poems to flashcards

Installation

Prerequisites

  • Rust toolchain (with Cargo)

Building from Source

git clone https://github.com/kmein/leitner
cd leitner
cargo build --release

The binary will be available at target/release/leitner.

Using Nix

If you have Nix with flakes enabled:

nix develop

Usage

Starting a Learning Session

leitner <deck_path>

Example:

leitner flashcards.json

If the deck file doesn't exist, a new one will be created.

Controls

  • Any key: Reveal the answer (when viewing question)
  • y: Mark as correct (when viewing answer)
  • n: Mark as incorrect (when viewing answer)
  • r: Refill the first queue from the stash
  • q: Quit and save progress

Importing Flashcards from CSV

leitner <deck_path> import <csv_path>

Example:

leitner flashcards.json import my_cards.csv

The CSV file should have two columns: front and back:

front,back
"2 × 2 = ?","4"
"Capital of France?","Paris"

Converting Poems to Flashcards

Use the included Python utility to convert a poem into sequential flashcards:

cat poem.txt | python3 tools/poem2csv.py > poem.csv
leitner flashcards.json import poem.csv

This creates cards where each paragraph leads to the next, helping you memorize the poem sequentially.

File Format

The deck is stored as a JSON file with the following structure:

{
  "stash": [],
  "done": [],
  "queues": [
    {
      "cards": [
        {
          "front": "Question text",
          "back": "Answer text"
        }
      ],
      "capacity": 20
    }
  ]
}
  • stash: New cards waiting to be added to queue 1
  • done: Cards that have been fully learned
  • queues: The 5 learning queues with their cards and capacities

Dependencies

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues or pull requests.

License

See the repository for license information.