Enhanced Recording Controls and Countdown Timer

[sassman]

Description

It would be highly beneficial to enhance the recording functionality with the following features:

1. Pause/Continue Recording: Implement a mechanism to pause and continue the recording seamlessly.
2. Countdown Timer: Display a countdown timer before the recording starts to give users a clear indication of when the recording will begin.

Discussion

While displaying these features in the terminal is limited, Terminal User Interfaces (TUIs) like zellij demonstrate that more advanced interactions are possible. Here are some potential implementations:

• Countdown Timer: Display the countdown timer in the TUI, centered in a large font with text such as "Recording starts in 5 seconds" and so on.
• Pause/Continue Recording: Introduce a key-binding mechanism that allows users to pause and continue the recording. When activated, display a message indicating that the recording is paused.
• Help Popover: Provide a help popover that shows all key-bindings. Ideally, this popover would automatically pause the recording while it is active.

Alternatively, a GUI approach could be considered, such as utilizing the global menu bar for these controls. This would make the features more accessible and discoverable compared to hidden key bindings. However, this approach might present challenges for compatibility across different operating systems, such as Linux and Windows.

Benefits

• Improved User Experience: Users will have more control over their recordings, making the process more intuitive and user-friendly.
• Enhanced Accessibility: A GUI or TUI approach can make these features more accessible and easier to discover.

Potential Challenges

• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Ensuring that the GUI approach works seamlessly across different operating systems.
• Implementation Complexity: Adding these features may require significant changes to the existing codebase.

Conclusion

Implementing these features would greatly enhance the usability and functionality of the recording tool. Whether through a TUI or GUI approach, providing users with more control and clear indications of recording status will improve the overall user experience.