A new open-source desktop application called OpenSlides launched on Hacker News today, offering developers a way to create and present animated code demonstrations. The project, hosted at GitHub under the username codewiththiha, aims to fill a gap for builders who want their live coding sessions and technical talks to look polished rather than jarring.

What OpenSlides Does

The application serves as a presentation tool specifically built around code. Instead of switching between an IDE and static slides, presenters can animate code changes line-by-line or block-by-block. This approach helps audiences follow along with refactors, algorithm walkthroughs, or architecture explanations without losing context between steps.

Target Users

OpenSlides targets conference speakers, technical educators, and internal dev teams running brown bags or knowledge-sharing sessions. Anyone who's tried to demo a complex code change in real-time knows the pain of typing too fast or skipping important logic—animated slides let you pre-record those moments while preserving the narrative flow.

Availability and Tech Stack

The project is available as open-source software on GitHub, though specific language bindings and platform support aren't detailed in the initial HN announcement. Given it's a desktop application focused on code presentation, expect Electron, Tauri, or a similar cross-platform framework under the hood.

Why This Matters for Developer Workflows

Most presentation tools treat code as text with syntax highlighting bolted on. OpenSlides appears designed around the idea that code has temporal dimension—changes happen in sequence, and good presentations should respect that rhythm. For teams adopting better documentation practices, having a tool that produces animated artifacts alongside written docs adds another layer of clarity.

Key Takeaways

  • Open-source desktop app for creating animated code presentations
  • Aims to make live demos less error-prone and more engaging
  • Targets conference speakers, educators, and internal tech talks
  • Available now on GitHub for developers to try and contribute

The Bottom Line

OpenSlides won't replace your IDE or standard slide decks overnight, but if you present code regularly, it solves a real pain point that existing tools gloss over. Worth bookmarking—I'll be watching the repo for platform support details and community contributions.