How to vibe codeMemtime

Prerequisites

• Rust & Node.jsfree

  Required for compiling the Tauri desktop shell and local background daemon.

• CursorFree tier / $20/mo

  AI code editor for rapidly structuring the frontend timeline UI and backend IPC commands.

AI coding tools

• Claude Code

  Best-in-class agent for multi-file systems engineering, setting up Rust backend daemons, and wiring TypeScript IPC bridges.

• Cursor

  Ideal for fine-tuning the complex CSS/Tailwind interactive timeline grid and zoom intervals.

Build guide

1. 01Scaffold Tauri Desktop Shell with Rust Backend

   Initialize a Tauri desktop application project with a React/Next.js frontend and a Rust core daemon capable of executing system-level background loops.

   Create a new Tauri project configured with Next.js for the frontend and Rust for the backend. Set up the Rust structure to run a background tokio thread that ticks every 5 seconds. This background thread must use platform-specific crates (like active-win-pos-rs or native OS bindings) to capture the current active window title, application executable name, and timestamp. Ensure proper error handling for cases where accessibility permissions are denied by the operating system.

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2. 02Implement Local SQLite Storage and Data Rotation

   Build a robust local SQLite database layer via Rust to store high-frequency activity logs securely on disk without memory leaks.

   Write a SQLite storage module in Rust using rusqlite or sqlx to persist captured window events locally inside the user's application support directory. Define an 'activities' table storing id, app_name, window_title, start_time, end_time, and duration. Implement a batch-writing queue so events collected every 5 seconds are flushed to disk efficiently without locking the database or causing high CPU overhead. Add a cleanup migration that archives or prunes raw logs older than 90 days to manage disk space.

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3. 03Build the Interactive Chronological Timeline UI

   Develop a high-performance timeline component in the frontend that visualizes 24 hours of activity blocks with zoomable increments.

   Build a React timeline component using Tailwind CSS that renders a 24-hour horizontal or vertical grid divided into customizable increments (1-minute, 5-minute, and 6-minute legal slots). Expose a Tauri IPC command to fetch aggregated activity blocks for a selected date from the local SQLite database. Implement smooth zooming and panning controls that recalculate block widths dynamically. Each block should display the dominant application icon, title snippet, and duration on hover.

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4. 04Add Time Entry Grouping and Rule Automation

   Implement manual and rule-based assignment of raw timeline chunks into billable project time entries.

   Create a project management view in the React frontend where users can define projects and tasks. Implement drag-and-select or click-to-assign functionality on the timeline grid to group raw activity blocks into a billable time entry. Write a Rust backend rule engine that scans incoming window titles against user-defined keyword rules (e.g., matching client names in browser tabs or document paths) and automatically suggests or assigns matching project IDs to activity intervals.

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5. 05Integrate Calendar Sync and Polish Local App Experience

   Incorporate CalDAV / Google Calendar syncing to overlay meetings on the timeline and package the app for daily desktop use.

   Implement a CalDAV calendar sync client in Rust/TypeScript that fetches calendar events for the active day and renders them as background shaded blocks behind the activity timeline. Add system tray support using Tauri's tray API so the app runs quietly in the background with options to open the dashboard, pause tracking, or view daily summaries. Test the build process for macOS and Windows packaging.

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Cost vs paying for Memtime