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Elio Struyf
Elio Struyf

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Making Live Coding Demos Easier with Demo Time

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Live coding demos can be one of the most engaging ways to share knowledge, showcase skills, and teach others. However, they come with their fair share of challenges—technical hiccups, time constraints, or simply the fear of something going wrong in front of an audience. Enter Demo Time, a tool I created to make live coding demos easier and stress-free. From creating files, to inserting code, or highlighting certain code blocks, these actions are all possible with Demo Time.

What is Demo Time?

Demo Time is a Visual Studio Code extension to streamline your live coding presentations. It helps you focus on what truly matters—delivering value to your audience—by automating mundane tasks, organizing your scripts, and ensuring you’re always prepared.

Key Features

  • Step-by-step guidance: Organize your demos into clear, manageable steps, so you never lose track of where you are.
  • Automation ready: Run your demos with just a click, saving time and avoiding errors.
  • Visual indicators: Highlight where you are in your demo flow to keep both you and your audience aligned.
  • Customizable: Tailor it to fit your demo style, project needs, and preferences.
  • Visual Studio Code commands support: Beside the Demo Time actions, you can also configure your demos to run Visual Studio Code commands.

Why Did I Create Demo Time?

As someone who often presents live demos in sessions, I know the pressure of balancing technical accuracy with audience engagement. I wanted a tool that could act as my co-pilot, reducing the chance of errors while enabling me to deliver a polished presentation.

How to Get Started

  • Visit the Demo Time site and explore its features.
  • Install the extension in your IDE.
  • Create a demo script, define your steps, and customize the flow to your liking.
  • Practice with Demo Time to ensure seamless execution during your presentation.

On the website, you can find some example projects and showcases of where Demo Time is used.

Use Cases

  • Conferences: Simplify coding demonstrations.
  • Workshops: Guide attendees through hands-on exercises.
  • Internal Training: Make onboarding or knowledge-sharing sessions smoother.

Feedback and Collaboration

Demo Time is a project close to my heart, and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Whether it’s ideas for new features or stories of how Demo Time helped your presentations, let’s connect and make this tool even better together.

Feel free to submit your feedback to the Demo Time - GitHub repository.

Final Thoughts

Live demos don’t have to be nerve-wracking. With Demo Time, you can focus on sharing your expertise while letting the tool handle the logistics. Give it a try, and experience the difference in your next presentation!

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