OpenDSA - Product Roadmap

A phased approach to building the ultimate algorithm visualization platform.

Table of Contents

1. Vision
2. Roadmap Overview
3. Phase 1: Foundation
4. Phase 2: Core Features
5. Phase 3: Community and Learning
6. Phase 4: Advanced Features
7. Future Considerations
8. Success Metrics

Vision

OpenDSA aims to be the go-to open-source platform for visualizing and learning data structures and algorithms. Our goal is to make algorithm education:

• Visual: See algorithms come to life
• Interactive: Control and experiment with algorithms
• Accessible: Free and open to everyone
• Community-driven: Built by learners, for learners

Roadmap Overview

Phase Summary

Phase 1: Foundation (MVP)

Goal: Establish the technical foundation and launch with essential features.

1.1 Infrastructure Setup

• Repository Setup

  • Initialize Turborepo monorepo
  • Configure pnpm workspaces
  • Set up TypeScript strict mode
  • Configure ESLint + Prettier
  • Set up Husky for git hooks

• CI/CD Pipeline

  • GitHub Actions for CI (lint, type-check, test, build)
  • Vercel deployment configuration
  • Preview deployments for PRs
  • Automated dependency updates (Dependabot)

• Core Packages

  • @opendsa/types - Shared TypeScript types
  • @opendsa/config - Shared configurations
  • @opendsa/utils - Utility functions

1.2 UI Component Library

• Base Components (@opendsa/ui)

  • Button, Input, Slider
  • Card, Dialog, Popover
  • Dropdown, Select, Tabs
  • Toast notifications
  • Theme provider (light/dark)

• Visualizer Components

  • Bar chart component (for sorting)
  • Array visualization component
  • Control panel component
  • Step indicator component
  • Speed slider component

1.3 Animation Engine

• Core Engine (@opendsa/visualizers)

  • Step-based animation system
  • Play/pause/reset controls
  • Step forward/backward
  • Speed control (1x - 10x)
  • Animation state management

• Animation Hooks

  • useAnimation hook
  • useVisualizerStore hook
  • Keyboard shortcuts support

1.4 Initial Algorithms

• Sorting Algorithms (@opendsa/algorithms)

  • Bubble Sort
  • Selection Sort
  • Insertion Sort
  • Quick Sort
  • Merge Sort

• Searching Algorithms

  • Linear Search
  • Binary Search

• Data Structure Operations

  • Array: insert, delete, update, search

1.5 Visualizer Application

• App Structure (apps/app)

  • Next.js App Router setup
  • Layout with sidebar navigation
  • Dynamic visualizer routes
  • Responsive design (tablet+)

• Visualizer Pages

  • Sorting algorithm visualizers (5)
  • Searching algorithm visualizers (2)
  • Array operations visualizer

• Features

  • Play/pause animations
  • Step-by-step mode
  • Speed control
  • Random array generation
  • Custom array input

1.6 Marketing Website

• Landing Page (apps/web)

  • Hero section with demo
  • Features overview
  • Algorithm categories
  • Call to action

• Pages

  • Home (landing)
  • Features
  • About

1.7 Documentation Site

• Initial Docs (apps/docs)
  • Getting started guide
  • Installation instructions
  • Quick start tutorial
  • Contributing guide

1.8 Launch Checklist

• Domain setup (opendsa.dev)
• SEO configuration
• Analytics setup
• Error tracking (Sentry)
• README and LICENSE
• Social media presence
• Launch announcement

Phase 2: Core Features

Goal: Expand algorithm coverage and enhance the visualization experience.

2.1 Additional Sorting Algorithms

• Heap Sort
• Counting Sort
• Radix Sort
• Bucket Sort
• Shell Sort
• Tim Sort (simplified)

2.2 Additional Searching Algorithms

• Jump Search
• Interpolation Search
• Exponential Search
• Ternary Search

2.3 Graph Algorithms

• Graph Data Structure

  • Graph visualization component
  • Node/edge creation UI
  • Adjacency list/matrix views

• Traversal Algorithms

  • Breadth-First Search (BFS)
  • Depth-First Search (DFS)

• Shortest Path

  • Dijkstra’s Algorithm
  • Bellman-Ford Algorithm
  • Floyd-Warshall Algorithm

• Minimum Spanning Tree

  • Prim’s Algorithm
  • Kruskal’s Algorithm

2.4 Tree Algorithms

• Binary Search Tree

  • Insert, Delete, Search
  • Tree visualization component
  • Balance visualization

• Tree Traversals

  • Inorder
  • Preorder
  • Postorder
  • Level order

• Advanced Trees (simplified)

  • AVL Tree rotations
  • Red-Black Tree concepts

2.5 Data Structure Visualizers

• Linked List

  • Singly linked list
  • Doubly linked list
  • Insert, delete, reverse

• Stack

  • Push, pop, peek
  • Expression evaluation demo

• Queue

  • Enqueue, dequeue
  • Circular queue
  • Priority queue concepts

• Hash Table

  • Insert, search, delete
  • Collision handling visualization

2.6 Enhanced Features

• Code Editor Integration

  • Monaco Editor setup
  • Syntax highlighting
  • Code step highlighting
  • Multiple language support (JS, Python, Java, C++)

• Shareable URLs

  • Encode state in URL
  • Share specific visualization state
  • Deep linking to steps

• User Preferences

  • Theme persistence
  • Speed preferences
  • Layout preferences
  • Keyboard shortcuts customization

2.7 Performance Optimizations

• Canvas rendering for large arrays
• Virtualization for step history
• Web Worker for step generation
• Bundle size optimization

Phase 3: Community and Learning

Goal: Build educational content and community engagement features.

3.1 Learning Paths

• Structured Courses

  • “Introduction to Sorting”
  • “Mastering Searching”
  • “Graph Algorithms 101”
  • “Trees and Recursion”

• Path Features

  • Progress tracking
  • Prerequisites
  • Estimated duration
  • Difficulty levels

3.2 Interactive Tutorials

• Guided Walkthroughs

  • Step-by-step explanations
  • Interactive quizzes
  • “Try it yourself” sections
  • Hints and solutions

• Concept Explanations

  • Time complexity visualizer
  • Space complexity explanations
  • Big O comparison charts
  • Real-world applications

3.3 Challenge Mode

• Algorithm Challenges

  • Predict the output
  • Count the steps
  • Identify the algorithm
  • Fix the bug

• Gamification

  • Points/scoring system
  • Streaks and achievements
  • Leaderboard (optional)
  • Progress badges

3.4 Community Features

• Discord Integration

  • Discord server setup
  • Role assignments
  • Channel structure
  • Bot for announcements

• Community Submissions

  • User-submitted visualizers
  • Review process
  • Attribution system

• Feedback System

  • In-app feedback
  • Feature voting
  • Bug reporting

3.5 Blog

• Algorithm Deep Dives

  • Detailed explanations
  • Use case examples
  • Implementation tips

• Community Spotlights

  • Contributor features
  • Project updates
  • Release notes

3.6 Documentation Expansion

• Algorithm Reference

  • Every algorithm documented
  • Complexity analysis
  • Code examples
  • Related problems

• API Documentation

  • Package APIs
  • Hook documentation
  • Type definitions

Phase 4: Advanced Features

Goal: Add power-user features and platform expansion capabilities.

4.1 User Accounts (Optional)

• Authentication

  • GitHub OAuth
  • Google OAuth
  • Email/password (optional)

• User Features

  • Save favorite visualizations
  • Track learning progress
  • Custom settings sync
  • Submission history

4.2 Save and Load

• Visualization Saving

  • Save current state
  • Name and organize
  • Export/import JSON

• Collections

  • Create collections
  • Share collections
  • Public/private visibility

4.3 Embed Widget

• Embeddable Component

  • iframe embed code
  • Web component version
  • Customization options

• Use Cases

  • Blog posts
  • Documentation
  • Educational platforms
  • Coding bootcamps

4.4 API

• Public API

  • Algorithm execution
  • Step generation
  • Embed configuration

• Integration Support

  • npm package for algorithms
  • React component library
  • Documentation

4.5 Advanced Algorithms

• Dynamic Programming

  • Fibonacci visualization
  • Longest Common Subsequence
  • 0/1 Knapsack
  • Matrix Chain Multiplication

• String Algorithms

  • Pattern matching (KMP)
  • Rabin-Karp
  • Trie operations

• Advanced Graph

  • Topological Sort
  • Strongly Connected Components
  • Network Flow concepts

4.6 Mobile Experience

• Responsive Improvements

  • Mobile-optimized visualizations
  • Touch gestures
  • Portrait mode support

• PWA Features

  • Offline support
  • Install prompt
  • Push notifications (updates)

4.7 Accessibility Audit

• WCAG 2.1 AA Compliance

  • Screen reader support
  • Keyboard navigation
  • High contrast mode
  • Reduced motion support

• Documentation

  • Accessibility statement
  • Known issues
  • Alternative formats

4.8 Internationalization

• i18n Setup

  • Translation framework
  • Language selector
  • RTL support

• Initial Languages

  • English (default)
  • Spanish
  • Chinese
  • Hindi
  • (Community contributions)

Future Considerations

These are ideas for future exploration, not committed features:

Potential Features

• AI-Powered Explanations: Use LLMs to generate custom explanations
• Collaborative Mode: Real-time shared visualization sessions
• VR/AR Visualization: 3D algorithm visualization
• Interview Prep Mode: LeetCode-style practice integration
• Curriculum Builder: Tools for educators to create courses
• Native Mobile Apps: iOS/Android applications
• Desktop App: Electron-based desktop application

Integration Ideas

• LeetCode/HackerRank: Link to practice problems
• GitHub: Import/export algorithm implementations
• Notion/Obsidian: Embed widgets
• VS Code Extension: In-editor visualization

Success Metrics

Phase 1 Metrics

Phase 2 Metrics

Phase 3 Metrics

Phase 4 Metrics

How to Contribute to the Roadmap

We welcome community input on our roadmap:

1. Feature Requests: Open an issue with the “feature request” template
2. Voting: React to issues to show support for features
3. Discussion: Join our Discord to discuss roadmap items
4. Implementation: Volunteer to implement roadmap items

Prioritization Criteria

Features are prioritized based on:

1. Impact: How many users will benefit
2. Effort: Development complexity
3. Dependencies: What needs to be built first
4. Community Interest: Votes and feedback
5. Strategic Fit: Alignment with project vision

Changelog

This roadmap is a living document and will be updated as the project evolves.