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Demo Time

Terminology

Demo Time uses a hierarchical theatrical structure to organize complex demos into manageable, narrative-driven presentations, making them easier to build and follow.

Terminology Overview

Play

Your entire demo project (.demo folder). Contains all the Acts and assets you need for your presentation.

Act

A single demo file (YAML or JSON) focusing on a specific topic.

Scene

A single demo section (contains one or more moves).

Moves

One or more steps inside a Scene. Executes in order to perform a clear action like showing text, highlighting code, or switching tools.

Move 1: Show text introduction

Move 2: Open code file

Move 3: Highlight code block

More moves

Scene 2

Another demo section…

Act 2

Another demo file…

Detailed Definitions

Play

A Play represents your entire demo project, typically stored in a .demo folder. It contains all the Acts and supporting assets (slides, images, sample files) you need for your complete presentation.

Example: A conference talk about “Building APIs with Node.js” would be one Play containing multiple Acts covering different aspects like setup, routing, middleware, testing, etc.

Act

An Act is a single demo file in YAML or JSON format that focuses on a specific topic or section of your presentation. You can have multiple Act files within one Play to organize your content logically.

Example: Within the Node.js API Play, you might have:

  • 01-setup.yaml - Environment setup and project initialization
  • 02-routing.json - Creating API endpoints
  • 03-middleware.yaml - Adding authentication and logging
  • 04-testing.json - Writing and running tests

Scene

A Scene represents a logical section within an Act that groups related moves together. Each scene contains one or more moves that execute sequentially when triggered.

Example: In the routing Act, you might have scenes like:

  • Scene 1: “Create basic GET endpoint”
  • Scene 2: “Add POST endpoint with validation”
  • Scene 3: “Implement error handling”

Move

Moves are the individual actions that execute within a Scene. They represent the smallest unit of automation in Demo Time - a single action like opening a file, typing text, highlighting code, or switching between tools.

Example: The “Create basic GET endpoint” scene might contain these moves:

  1. Open server.js file
  2. Navigate to line 15
  3. Type the route handler code
  4. Highlight the new route
  5. Open terminal and run the server

Best Practices

Organizing Your Structure

  • Keep Acts focused: Each Act should cover one major topic or workflow
  • Make Scenes logical: Group related moves that tell a complete sub-story
  • Size Moves appropriately: Each move should be one clear, atomic action
  • Plan your narrative: Structure your hierarchy to match your presentation flow

Naming Conventions

  • Use descriptive names that indicate the content: authentication.yaml, database-setup.json
  • Number Acts if order matters: 01-intro.yaml, 02-setup.json, 03-features.yaml
  • Keep scene names concise but descriptive: “Setup environment”, “Add user authentication”