<!DOCTYPE html>

Monkeytype React Clone: Building a Typing Speed Tester

 body { font-family: sans-serif; margin: 20px; } h1, h2, h3 { margin-top: 30px; } code { background-color: #f2f2f2; padding: 5px; border-radius: 3px; font-family: monospace; } pre { background-color: #f2f2f2; padding: 10px; border-radius: 5px; font-family: monospace; overflow-x: auto; }

Monkeytype React Clone: Building a Typing Speed Tester

Introduction

In the digital age, typing speed is a valuable skill. Websites like Monkeytype provide a fun and engaging way to test and improve your typing prowess.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into building a React clone of Monkeytype, exploring the key concepts, tools, and techniques involved in creating a functional and user-friendly typing speed tester.

Key Concepts and Technologies

To build our Monkeytype React clone, we'll leverage the following technologies and concepts:

React: A JavaScript library for building user interfaces, enabling component-based development and efficient rendering.
TypeScript: A superset of JavaScript that adds optional static typing, improving code maintainability and reducing errors.
Redux: A state management library for managing application state centrally and consistently, especially in complex applications.
API Integration: To fetch random text snippets for typing tests, we'll utilize an API like the Random Word API or other similar services.
CSS and Styling: We'll use CSS to style our components and create an aesthetically pleasing interface.

Project Setup

Start by setting up a new React project using Create React App:



    npx create-react-app monkeytype-clone --template typescript

    cd monkeytype-clone

Component Structure

We'll structure our application using the following components:

App.tsx: The main component that houses the other components.
TextDisplay.tsx: Displays the text snippet for typing.
TypingInput.tsx: Handles user input and tracks typing progress.
Timer.tsx: Displays the time elapsed during the typing test.
ResultDisplay.tsx: Shows the test results (WPM, accuracy, time).
StartButton.tsx: Initiates the typing test.

Data Fetching with API

We'll use the Random Word API to obtain random text snippets for our typing tests.



    

    // src/services/api.ts

    import axios from 'axios';
const apiUrl = 'https://api.quotable.io/random'; // Example API endpoint

export const fetchRandomText = async () =&gt; {
    const response = await axios.get(apiUrl);
    return response.data.content;
};
</code>
</pre>






   State Management with Redux

  





   We'll use Redux to manage the application state, including:


  





  


   


    Current text snippet
   


   


    User input
   


   


    Time elapsed
   


   


    Test results
   


   


    Test status (running, paused, completed)
   


  





  


    


    // src/redux/store.ts


    import { configureStore } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';


    import typingReducer from './typingSlice';

export const store = configureStore({
    reducer: {
        typing: typingReducer,
    },
});
</code>
</pre>







   TypingInput Component

  





   The TypingInput component handles user input and tracks typing progress.


  





  


    


    // src/components/TypingInput.tsx


    import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';


    import { useSelector, useDispatch } from 'react-redux';


    import { updateInput, resetInput, startTimer, stopTimer } from '../redux/typingSlice';

const TypingInput: React.FC = () =&gt; {
    const [userInput, setUserInput] = useState('');
    const text = useSelector((state: any) =&gt; state.typing.text);
    const dispatch = useDispatch();

    useEffect(() =&gt; {
        const handleKeyDown = (event: KeyboardEvent) =&gt; {
            if (event.key === 'Backspace' &amp;&amp; userInput.length &gt; 0) {
                setUserInput(userInput.slice(0, -1));
                dispatch(updateInput(userInput));
            } else if (event.key !== 'Backspace') {
                setUserInput(userInput + event.key);
                dispatch(updateInput(userInput));
            }
        };

        document.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown);

        return () =&gt; {
            document.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown);
            dispatch(resetInput());
        };
    }, [userInput, dispatch]);

    const handleFocus = () =&gt; {
        dispatch(startTimer());
    };

    const handleBlur = () =&gt; {
        dispatch(stopTimer());
    };

    return (
        <input onblur="{handleBlur}" onfocus="{handleFocus}" placeholder="Start typing..." type="text" value="{userInput}"/>
    );
};

export default TypingInput;
</code>
</pre>







   Result Display Component

  





   The ResultDisplay component displays the typing test results.


  





  


    


    // src/components/ResultDisplay.tsx


    import React from 'react';


    import { useSelector } from 'react-redux';

const ResultDisplay: React.FC = () =&gt; {
    const results = useSelector((state: any) =&gt; state.typing.results);

    if (!results) {
        return null;
    }

    return (
        <div>
            <h2>Results</h2>
            <p>WPM: {results.wpm}</p>
            <p>Accuracy: {results.accuracy}%</p>
            <p>Time: {results.time} seconds</p>
        </div>
    );
};

export default ResultDisplay;
</code>
</pre>







   Styling with CSS

  





   We'll use CSS to style our components, creating a visually appealing and user-friendly interface. You can add your desired styles to a file like src/styles/main.css and import it into your App.tsx component.


  





  


    


    // src/styles/main.css


    body {


        font-family: Arial, sans-serif;


        display: flex;


        flex-direction: column;


        align-items: center;


        justify-content: center;


        min-height: 100vh;


        background-color: #f4f4f4;


    }

.container {
    background-color: #fff;
    padding: 30px;
    border-radius: 10px;
    box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}

/* ... other styles */
</code>
</pre>







   Testing and Improvements

  





   After building your Monkeytype clone, thoroughly test it to ensure functionality and user experience. Here are some potential improvements:


  





  


   


    Error Handling: Implement error handling for API requests and other potential issues.
   


   


    Advanced Features: Add features like different difficulty levels, word lists, or user profiles.
   


   


    Accessibility: Ensure your application is accessible to users with disabilities by using ARIA attributes and following accessibility guidelines.
   


   


    Performance Optimization: Optimize your code for efficient rendering and performance, especially for large text snippets.
   


   


    Code Quality: Maintain code quality with linting tools, code formatting, and unit testing.
   


  





  





   Conclusion


  





  


   Building a Monkeytype React clone is a rewarding project that allows you to put your React skills to use. By understanding the key concepts, leveraging Redux for state management, and integrating with APIs, you can create a fun and functional typing speed tester. Remember to prioritize user experience, test thoroughly, and explore additional features to enhance your application.


  





  


   As you continue to develop your React skills, you can explore even more advanced features and technologies to create even more sophisticated web applications. Happy coding!


  





  


   


    


     


     


     GitHub Repository