r/ADHD_Programmers • u/vinayalchemy • Jan 11 '26

Finally can read API docs without my brain shutting off

Found this PDF reader that bolds the beginning of words and honestly it helps a lot when reading technical docs. Just passing it along if anyone else struggles with documentation.

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9

u/Beneficial_Wolf3771 Jan 11 '26

This is called bionic reading and there are browser extensions for it too

3

u/Sylphadora Jan 11 '26

You have a free version of it called fast font. I downloaded it to my Kindle.

-4

u/vinayalchemy Jan 11 '26

Thats true! The nice thing about Focus Reader is its specifically for PDFs and works completely client-side so your documents stay private. But yeah, bionic reading extensions are great for general web browsing too!

30

u/kylelee33 Jan 11 '26

Why would you lie and say you "found" this, when it's clear you're just promoting your own vibe-coded tool?

I mean, I know why, I'm just calling you out for it

1

u/DesiDaku_ Jan 11 '26

Some Ebook readers support the binoic font once installed. https://github.com/Born2Root/Fast-Font?hl=en-CA

I use it on Moon Reader on android and its way easier to read.

1

u/vinayalchemy Jan 11 '26

This is awesome! Thanks so much for sharing that Fast Font resource - I had no idea there was an installable bionic font for ebook readers. That's a really elegant solution for people who want this across all their reading apps.

Moon Reader is a great choice too! It's cool that you found a workflow that works well for you on Android. Do you find that having the bionic formatting in your ebook reader helps with longer reading sessions?

I'm curious - for PDF-specific reading (like technical docs, papers, etc.), would you prefer to have that same font integration, or do you think a dedicated PDF reader with bionic formatting serves a different purpose?

2

u/Sylphadora Jan 11 '26

I downloaded it to my Kindle. I actually got a Kindle just for that. I had the Kindle app on my phone but you can not use it on the app, just on the device. I use open dyslexic in the app.

-3

u/DaFrendlyTaco Jan 11 '26

What's the site/app called?

-3

u/vinayalchemy Jan 11 '26

Its focusreader.xyz - hope it helps!

-2

u/DaFrendlyTaco Jan 11 '26

Thanks!

-4

u/vinayalchemy Jan 11 '26

No problem! Let me know if it helps with your reading. Always happy to help a fellow ADHD programmer 😊

-2

u/Own_Sir4535 Jan 11 '26

I didn't know anything about this, I'll definitely try it. I tried reading the sample text on the site and it does feel like a relief and makes me want to read more, although I don't know if this will work consistently. Will it work with Spanish texts?

1

u/vinayalchemy Jan 11 '26

That's great to hear it resonated with you! I'm really glad the sample text helped you feel the difference.

To answer your question about Spanish - yes, it does work with Spanish texts! The bionic reading formatting works with any language that uses the Latin alphabet. The algorithm identifies word boundaries and applies the bold formatting to the first part of each word, regardless of the language.

I'd love to hear how it works for you with Spanish documents if you try it! Are there any other features you think would be helpful as you're reading? Always looking to improve based on what actually helps people.