Building DiskLens with AI Assistance
How AI coding tools helped build a full desktop app in just 3 days.
Building a fully-featured, cross-platform desktop application used to take weeks or months. DiskLens was built in 3 days. Here's how AI made that possible.
The Starting Point
The project started with just an idea and a few reference screenshots of JDiskReport - the classic Java disk analyzer that inspired DiskLens.
The goal was ambitious: recreate the functionality of a tool that took years to perfect, but make it modern, fast, and beautiful.
The Challenge
- Build a complete Electron + React application
- Implement multiple chart visualizations
- Create efficient file system scanning
- Support both Mac and Windows
- All in just 3 days
The AI-Assisted Workflow
AI coding assistants took the project from sample images to about 60% of a working application in the first pass. That initial leap was a game changer.
Day 1: Foundation
With AI assistance, the first day accomplished:
- ✦ Complete Electron project setup with React
- ✦ Basic file system scanning working
- ✦ First pie chart rendering scan results
- ✦ IPC communication between main and renderer
Day 2: Visualization
The second day added all the visual magic:
- ✦ Donut, radial, and sunburst chart views
- ✦ Dark and light theme support
- ✦ Sidebar navigation with folder tree
- ✦ Zoom and pan controls
Day 3: Polish & Features
The final day brought it all together:
- ✦ Smart SSD/HDD detection for optimized scanning
- ✦ Parallel scanning with worker threads
- ✦ Scan caching for instant re-scans
- ✦ PNG export with watermarks
- ✦ Cross-platform builds (DMG and EXE)
What AI Did Well
Boilerplate & Setup
Electron configuration, React component structure, build tooling - all generated quickly and correctly.
Chart Integration
Integrating Recharts with proper data transformation and responsive sizing.
IPC Patterns
Setting up secure communication between Electron's main and renderer processes.
CSS Styling
Creating the dark theme, glass effects, and responsive layouts.
The Human Touch
AI isn't magic. It still needed human guidance for:
- ✦ Architecture decisions - Choosing the right scanning strategy for different drive types
- ✦ Performance optimization - Identifying bottlenecks and implementing worker threads
- ✦ UX refinement - Making the interface feel intuitive and responsive
- ✦ Bug fixing - Tracking down edge cases and platform-specific issues
The Result
The combination of AI speed and human refinement produced:
- 20+ commits in 3 days
- 4 chart visualizations (pie, donut, radial, sunburst)
- 2 platforms supported (Mac + Windows)
- Smart scanning that adapts to your drive
- 0 telemetry - complete privacy
What This Means
This project demonstrates what's possible when you combine AI assistance with human creativity and domain knowledge. The tools handle the tedious parts - boilerplate, syntax, common patterns - while humans focus on what matters: making something that actually works well and solves real problems.
DiskLens isn't just a tech demo. It's a genuine, useful tool that people can rely on. And it exists because AI made it possible to build in days what would have taken much longer before.
See what 3 days of AI-assisted development can produce!
Download DiskLens Free