The Dialogue Thing (2025)

Because dialogue formatting shouldn't be that hard.

Because let's be real: what does a developer do when they can't find the tool they want for free? They build it.

Frontend

Challenges

1
Complex regex patterns: Creating dynamic regular expressions that adapt to dynamic character names and dialogue tags.
2
CTRL+V, edit, CTRL+C, CTRL+V: The editor should mantain the original formatting of the text, making it writer friendly. We write in different editors, but there's not need to re-format your entire novel just because you edited it.
3
Editor integration: I tried every single rich text editor available on npm before I found one that worked for my use case.

Solutions

1
Reactive rule system: All regex patterns automatically update when characters or dialogue tags change, ensuring the highlighting is always updated.
2
Custom highlight with Quill.js blots: Quill.js takes care of highlighting through blots, eliminating the need for extra libraries like mark.js.
3
Debounced validation: Implemented smart debouncing and delta-based updates to ensure validation runs smoothly without blocking the writing flow.

Project status

The project features real-time dialogue editing validation , character management, and intelligent formatting suggestions. The core validation engine recognizes common dialogue formatting issues and provides contextual feedback.
Currently in active development with a focus on expanding the rule set and improving the user experience. The editor successfully handles basic dialogue scenarios, multiple characters, and various punctuation patterns.
Planned improvements include more patterns, automatic character name recognition and Google Docs import. The regex engine is continuously being refined to handle edge cases and support more writing styles.