/Reading-Helper

A dead-simple Bookmarklet and Chrome Extension implementation of something like Bionic Reading

Primary LanguageJavaScriptOtherNOASSERTION

What is it?

Inspired by Bionic Reading, this Bookmarklet modifies a webpage to display the first half of each word in bold. Can also be installed as a Chrome Extension. Works on essentially any webpage!

Examples

Pre convert0 Post convert0 Pre convert1 Post convert1 Pre convert2 Post convert2 Pre convert3 Post convert3

Installation

If you're having trouble, we have pictures explaining each step here.

Bookmarklet Instructions (preferred method):

  • Open "readable_text.js"
  • Click "Copy Raw Contents" button, which looks like Two Squares
  • Create a new Bookmark named "Reading Helper" (or name it something else if you want!)
  • In the URL, paste what you copied
  • Save the Bookmark
  • When you want to use it, click the Bookmark and it will convert the page

Chrome Extension Installation Instructions:

  • Click the green Code button above, then click "Download ZIP"
  • Unzip the file literally anywhere
  • Open Chrome Extensions
  • In the upper right, turn on developer mode
  • Click "Load Unpacked"
  • Select the folder, it should load as Reading Helper extension
  • Go to the upper right and click the puzzle piece to show the extension (which will look like a Grey Square with a White R)
  • When you want to use it, click the Extension button and it will convert the page

Similar Projects:

Bookmarklet

Chrome Extension

Webpage

Document Readers/Converters

Other:

If anyone wants to fork this and actually upload it to the Chrome Dev store, please go for it! This was the work of 3 hours, has many issues, and isn't something I plan to refine much. I'd be quite happy if someone else took it and made something better! (This entire extention is ~100 lines of text, it's EASY to modify.)

Changelog

5/22 1.3.0

  • TL;DR add support for some unusual webssites, like EPUB readers
  • Add iframe documents to traversal

5/22 Rewrite 2

  • TL;DR no longer breaks dynamic pages
  • No longer processes invisible tags, like style and meta
  • No longer processes whitespace individually
  • No longer recreates breaks buttons and interactables
  • Now also works as a Bookmarklet

5/22 Rewrite 1

  • TL;DR catchs text across the entire page, breaks fewer things
  • Runs against all elements on the page, rather than a subset
  • No longer avoids full sentences if they contain another format tag
  • No longer breaks links
  • No longer processes script tags

5/21

  • Initial Release