dev-prompt-generator

A small Python script that picks what I write about next. Each run draws one topic I haven't written about yet, from a list of everything I've been learning in data science, and adds a few writing constraints so every post is short and focused.

I'm using it for a 30-day writing challenge: one post a day, starting 3 Nov 2026. The posts live in posts/.

• topics.json: 60 topics, each with an id, area (Python, SQL, Statistics, ML and more) and type (explain, build, compare, debug).
• constraints.json: rules for every post (always), plus rules picked at random for the topic's type (by_type, per_draw of them).
• used.json: the ids already drawn, so a topic never comes up twice. It is created on the first run and kept out of git.

Run it from inside this folder (the JSON files are opened by name):

python3 prompt_gen.py           # draw the next prompt and mark it as used
python3 prompt_gen.py --peek    # show a prompt without using it up
python3 prompt_gen.py --reset   # clear the history and start again
python3 prompt_gen.py --help

When every topic has been used, the script says so and stops.

Here's your Post 2 prompt:

Topic: Choosing a test: z, t, paired t, chi-square or ANOVA

Area: Statistics

Type: compare

Constraints:
- Max 600 words (about a 3-minute read)
- End with one question for the reader
- Say when you would pick each option
- Use the same small dataset for every option

Add an entry to topics.json with a new unique id, an area, a type and the topic text. If you add a new type, give it a list in constraints.json under by_type.

Python standard library only: json, os, random, sys, argparse.