szeyu/study-notes-creator

Study Notes Creator

Transform source materials into organized, visual study notes with themed folders, rich diagrams, and example-based learning.

Workflow

flowchart LR
    A[Source Materials] --> B[Extract Topics]
    B --> C[Plan Structure]
    C --> D[Create Notes]
    D --> E[Add Diagrams + Examples]
    E --> F[Build Index]

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Step 1: Understand the Source

1. Read the source - PDFs, lecture notes, existing docs
2. Identify 5-8 main topics - Major themes
3. Find subtopics - What falls under each theme?
4. Note example opportunities - Where can real examples help?

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Step 2: Plan Folder Structure

subject/
├── README.md                    # Master index
├── concepts/                    # Core theory
│   ├── 01-introduction.md
│   └── 02-fundamentals.md
├── techniques/                  # How-to procedures
│   ├── 01-method-a.md
│   └── 02-method-b.md
├── examples/                    # Worked problems
│   ├── 01-basic-examples.md
│   └── 02-advanced-examples.md
└── practice/                    # Exercises
    └── 01-exercises.md

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Step 3: Note Template

# [Topic Title]

One sentence summary.

## Overview

[Mermaid diagram showing the main concept]

## Key Concepts

### Concept 1

Brief explanation.

**Example:**
[Concrete example with real-world scenario]

## Summary Table

| Term | Definition | Example |
|------|------------|---------|
| A | What A is | Real use case |

## Practice Problems

1. Problem statement
   <details>
   <summary>Solution</summary>
   Step-by-step solution
   </details>

## Related

- [[other-note]] - Connection

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Step 4: Mermaid Diagrams (Primary)

Flowchart (Process Flow)

flowchart LR
    A[Start] --> B[Process]
    B --> C{Decision}
    C -->|Yes| D[Action]
    C -->|No| E[End]

Use for: Processes, decision trees, algorithms, workflows

Flowchart TB (Hierarchy/Tree)

flowchart TB
    A[Main Topic] --> B[Branch A]
    A --> C[Branch B]
    A --> D[Branch C]
    B --> E[Detail 1]
    B --> F[Detail 2]
    C --> G[Detail 3]

Use for: Taxonomies, classifications, org charts, topic breakdowns

Sequence Diagram

sequenceDiagram
    participant A as Actor
    participant S as System
    A->>S: Request
    S-->>A: Response
    A->>S: Follow-up

Use for: Interactions, conversations, API calls, cause-effect chains

State Diagram

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Idle
    Idle --> Active : Start
    Active --> Success : Complete
    Active --> Error : Fail
    Error --> Idle : Retry
    Success --> [*]

Use for: Lifecycles, status changes, phases, state machines

Cycle Diagram

flowchart LR
    A[Stage 1] --> B[Stage 2]
    B --> C[Stage 3]
    C --> D[Stage 4]
    D --> A

Use for: Water cycle, feedback loops, iterative processes, life cycles

Timeline

timeline
    title Historical Events
    1800 : Event A
    1850 : Event B
    1900 : Event C
    1950 : Event D

Use for: Historical timelines, project phases, evolution of concepts

Mind Map

mindmap
  root((Topic))
    Branch A
      Detail 1
      Detail 2
    Branch B
      Detail 3
      Detail 4

Use for: Brainstorming, topic overviews, concept relationships

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Step 5: ASCII Diagrams (Edge Cases)

Use ASCII only for:

• Overview boxes with custom text layout
• Layer/stack diagrams
• Comparison layouts

Overview Box

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                              TOPIC TITLE                                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                             │
│  Key Point 1    Key Point 2    Key Point 3                                  │
│      │              │              │                                        │
│  [details]      [details]      [details]                                    │
│                                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Layers/Stack

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                              Layer 4 (Top)                                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                              Layer 3                                        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                              Layer 2                                        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                              Layer 1 (Bottom)                               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Box Characters Reference

Corners: ┌ ┐ └ ┘   Lines: ─ │   T-joints: ├ ┤ ┬ ┴   Arrows: ▶ ▼ ◀ ▲

---

Step 6: Example-Based Learning Patterns

Pattern 1: Concept → Example → Variation

## [Concept Name]

**Definition:** Brief explanation.

**Example:**
[Concrete, real-world scenario]

**Variation:**
What if [different condition]? → [Different outcome]

Cross-discipline examples:

| Subject | Concept | Example | Variation | |---------|---------|---------|-----------| | Biology | Osmosis | Red blood cells in salt water shrink | In pure water? → Cells swell | | Economics | Supply/Demand | Oil price rises when OPEC cuts production | New oil discovered? → Price falls | | Physics | Momentum | Bowling ball vs tennis ball at same speed | Same mass, different speed? | | History | Cause/Effect | Industrial Revolution → urbanization | No steam engine? |

Pattern 2: Problem → Solution → Explanation

**Problem:** [Specific question]

**Solution:**
Step 1: [Action]
Step 2: [Action]
Result: [Answer]

**Why it works:** [Underlying principle]

Pattern 3: Compare and Contrast

| Aspect | Topic A | Topic B | |--------|---------|---------| | Feature 1 | ... | ... | | Feature 2 | ... | ... |

Similarities: Both... Key Difference: A is... while B is...

---

Step 7: Build the Index

# [Subject Name]

Brief description.

## Quick Navigation

### 📚 Core Concepts
- [[concepts/01-topic|Topic Name]] - Brief description

### 🔧 Techniques/Methods
- [[techniques/01-method|Method Name]] - Brief description

### 💡 Examples
- [[examples/01-basic|Basic Examples]] - Start here

---

*Last updated: YYYY-MM-DD*

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Quality Checklist

• [ ] Every note has at least 1 Mermaid diagram
• [ ] Every concept has at least 1 concrete example
• [ ] Examples use real, relatable scenarios
• [ ] Folder structure is numbered for reading order
• [ ] README links to all notes
• [ ] Wikilinks connect related topics