Reading Cursor Chrome Extension

Are you tired of stepping away from your desk for coffee, only to return and forget where you left off reading?

Reading Cursor is a Chrome extension that provides a keyboard-controlled cursor to help you track your reading position on any webpage.

Features

• Visual Reading Cursor: A clean, intuitive cursor that overlays on any webpage
• Keyboard Navigation: Use arrow keys to move the cursor around the page
• Auto-Scrolling: Page automatically scrolls when cursor reaches the edges
• Position Memory: Remembers cursor position when toggling on/off within the same page session
• Easy Toggle: Click the extension icon to show/hide the cursor

Installation

1. Download the Extension

   • Clone or download this repository to your local machine

2. Load in Chrome

   • Open Chrome and go to chrome://extensions/
   • Enable "Developer mode" (toggle in top right)
   • Click "Load unpacked"
   • Select the folder containing the extension files

3. Pin the Extension (Optional)

   • Click the puzzle piece icon in Chrome's toolbar
   • Pin the "Reading Cursor" extension for easy access

Usage

Basic Operation

1. Activate: Click the Reading Cursor extension icon in your toolbar
2. Navigate: Use arrow keys to move the cursor around the page:
   • ↑ Arrow Up - Move cursor up
   • ↓ Arrow Down - Move cursor down
   • ← Arrow Left - Move cursor left
   • → Arrow Right - Move cursor right
3. Deactivate: Click the extension icon again or press Escape

Auto-Scrolling

• When the cursor reaches near the edges of the viewport, the page will automatically scroll
• This ensures you can navigate through long articles without losing track

Position Memory

• The cursor remembers its position when you toggle it off and on within the same page session
• This is if you need to temporarily interact with the page and then return to reading

Keyboard Shortcuts

Key	Action
↑ ↓ ← →	Move cursor in respective direction
Escape	Hide the cursor

Technical Details

• Manifest Version: 3 (latest Chrome extension standard)
• Permissions: activeTab
• Files:
  • manifest.json - Extension configuration
  • popup.html/js - Extension popup interface
  • content.js - Main cursor functionality
  • cursor.css - Cursor styling
  • icons/ - Extension icons

Customization

You can customize the cursor appearance by modifying cursor.css:

• Size: Change width and height in .reading-cursor
• Color: Modify background and border colors
• Animation: Adjust the pulse animation timing
• Step Size: Change stepSize in content.js to make cursor movement faster/slower

Browser Compatibility

• Chrome (Manifest V3)
• Should work on other Chromium-based browsers (e.g., Edge, Brave)

Privacy

This extension:

• Only runs on active tabs when you activate it
• Stores cursor position locally (session storage)
• Does not collect any personal data
• Does not communicate with external servers
• Only requests minimal permissions needed for functionality

Troubleshooting

Cursor not appearing?

• Make sure you clicked the extension icon to activate it
• Check that the extension is enabled in chrome://extensions/

Arrow keys not working?

• Ensure the cursor is active (visible on the page)
• Make sure no other element on the page has focus (click somewhere neutral first)

Extension not loading?

• Verify all files are in the same folder
• Check Chrome's extension error messages in chrome://extensions/

Contributing

Feel free to contribute improvements:

1. Fork the repository
2. Make your changes
3. Test thoroughly
4. Submit a pull request

License

Feel free to use, modify, and distribute as needed.

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Happy Reading!