Working on a Meal Selector CLI Tool sounded like a quick and easy project, right? A simple random meal generator, ideal for those indecisive days. However, as I dove into the details, I thought, “Why not make it even more interesting?” And that’s how we ended up enhancing this tool to not only provide meal suggestions but also to make it calorie-conscious for users with specific dietary goals. This turned out to be a great little upgrade that combined utility with a touch of personalization.
Here’s a look at how I took on Issue #105 and added some fun, useful features along the way. Let’s dive in!
The Initial Idea
The original concept for the Meal Selector CLI Tool was straightforward: randomly pick an appetizer, main course, and dessert from predefined lists and serve up a meal suggestion for the day. It’s a great idea for people who love variety or just can’t decide on what to eat! The first version was designed to keep things simple, offering a random meal suggestion each time the script runs.
But Wait, Let’s Add Some Calorie Control!
As I was working on the basic setup, an idea popped up: what if users could specify how many calories they want for the day, and the tool could create a meal that meets (or at least stays under) that target? This led to adding a few new features, which made the tool not only a meal generator but also a mini dietary planner!
In came the calorie-based meal selection feature. Each food item got an associated calorie count, which meant that our list of items became slightly more sophisticated but added a ton of value for users. Now, users could enter a target calorie count, and the tool would generate a meal that met their requirements. A few tests, some debugging, and voila — we had a calorie-aware meal selector!
Minimum Calorie Requirement: No More 100-Calorie Days
One quick snag we encountered was when users entered very low calorie limits, like 100 or 200. Obviously, generating a full meal with such low calories isn’t realistic, so we added a minimum calorie notification. The tool now calculates the lowest possible calorie count for a meal (based on the least calorie-dense items) and prompts users to enter a number above this minimum if they go too low.
This way, the tool ensures a more enjoyable (and realistic) user experience by making sure the calorie goal is achievable.
The Final Touches: Visual Appeal and User Guidance
To make the tool even more enjoyable to use, I added some color-coded output using the colorama library. Each part of the meal is displayed with its name and calorie count, alongside a total calorie tally. This makes the output not only functional but also visually appealing, giving users a more engaging experience.
On top of that, the error handling was refined to guide users smoothly through the tool, especially when inputting calorie limits. All these updates came together to provide a tool that’s both simple and fun to use — and more useful than just a basic randomizer.
Wrapping It Up
So there you have it! What started as a simple 100-lines-of-code project turned into a feature-rich, personalized meal suggestion tool. With Issue #105 resolved and the PR #247 merged, we now have a tool that not only picks a meal for you but also lets you stay mindful of your calorie intake.
Next time you’re unsure what to eat, just fire up the Meal Selector CLI Tool, set your calorie goal, and let it surprise you. It’s a great example of how a small project can turn into something useful with just a few thoughtful additions. Happy meal planning!
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