The Problem That Disrupted Our Sleep
Our Berlin-based team loves beach volleyball. Every week, we'd get together for our regular match, but there was one problem that consistently frustrated us: securing court reservations.
The booking process created several challenges:
- Courts on a popular booking platform (let's name it CourtX) open for booking exactly two weeks in advance
- Bookings go live at midnight
- Popular time slots (6-9 PM) disappear within minutes
- Someone from our team had to sacrifice sleep or set midnight alarms
- Even when attempting to book promptly, faster users would claim the slots
After weeks of failed attempts and disrupted sleep schedules, I decided to explore a technical solution.
The Technical Solution: An Electron Desktop Application
I built a desktop application using Electron and Puppeteer that monitors CourtX and detects when our preferred time slots become available. This was primarily a learning exercise in desktop app development and web automation.
Core Features
Monitoring System
- Background monitoring with configurable intervals
- Preference-based filtering for specific times and days
- Activity logging for debugging and analysis
User Interface
- Real-time status indicators
- Settings configuration panel
- Statistics tracking and activity logs
Notification System
- Desktop alerts when matching courts are found
- Option to automatically open booking pages
- Manual confirmation required for actual booking
Technical Architecture
Technology Stack
- Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript (Electron renderer process)
- Backend: Node.js (Electron main process)
- Web Automation: Puppeteer with headless Chrome
- Data Storage: Local JSON files for user preferences
- Notifications: Native OS notifications via Electron
Implementation Overview
- Initialization: Application loads user preferences and initializes a headless browser instance
- Monitoring Loop: Periodic navigation to the booking site with respectful intervals
- Data Extraction: Parsing available court information from the website
- Filtering: Comparing results against user-defined preferences
- Alerting: Displaying notifications and optionally opening booking pages
- Logging: Recording all activity for analysis and debugging
Learning Outcomes and Technical Challenges
Web Scraping Complexities
- Websites frequently update their structure, requiring ongoing maintenance
- Dynamic content loading requires careful timing and error handling
- Rate limiting considerations to avoid overwhelming target servers
Electron Development Insights
- Understanding the main process vs renderer process architecture
- Managing inter-process communication effectively
- Balancing security with functionality requirements
Ongoing Maintenance Reality
This type of project requires continuous maintenance:
- Website structure changes break scraping logic regularly
- Anti-automation measures may be implemented over time
- Selector updates and navigation logic need frequent adjustments
Ethical Considerations and Limitations
Important Acknowledgments
Building this tool raised several ethical questions that are worth considering:
Fairness Concerns
- This approach provides advantages not available to all users
- Automated monitoring creates an uneven playing field
- Widespread adoption could lead to an "automation arms race"
Technical Responsibility
- Implemented respectful rate limiting to avoid server strain
- Tool assists with timing but requires manual booking confirmation
- Designed to work within reasonable usage patterns
Broader Impact
- Consider how automation affects fair access to public booking systems
- Balance personal problem-solving with community impact
- Respect website terms of service and intended usage patterns
Applications in Similar Contexts
This technical approach could potentially be adapted for:
- Event ticket monitoring and notifications
- Appointment availability tracking
- Resource booking assistance in various contexts
- Learning web automation and desktop app development
However, each implementation should carefully consider the ethical implications and potential impact on other users.
Technical Dependencies and Architecture
Key Libraries
electron- Cross-platform desktop app frameworkpuppeteer- Headless browser automation- Native Node.js modules for file system and OS integration
Future Enhancement Possibilities
- Multi-platform booking site support
- Improved error handling and recovery
- Better user experience and configuration options
- Calendar integration capabilities
- Mobile notification support
Reflection and Lessons Learned
This project served as a valuable learning experience in several areas:
Technical Skills
- Practical experience with Electron app development
- Hands-on web scraping and automation techniques
- Understanding of desktop application architecture patterns
Problem-Solving Approach
- Identifying automation opportunities in daily workflows
- Balancing technical solutions with ethical considerations
- Managing the ongoing maintenance burden of web-dependent tools
Ethical Awareness
- Considering the broader implications of personal automation projects
- Understanding the responsibility that comes with building tools that affect shared resources
- Recognizing the importance of respectful technical practices
Conclusion
What began as a frustrating booking process became an opportunity to explore desktop application development and web automation technologies. While the tool successfully addressed our immediate scheduling challenges, the project highlighted important questions about automation ethics and the balance between solving personal problems and maintaining fair access for all users.
The technical implementation provided valuable learning experiences with Electron and Puppeteer, though it also demonstrated the ongoing maintenance requirements of web scraping projects. Future automation projects would benefit from careful consideration of both technical and ethical implications from the outset.
Building tools to solve everyday problems can be rewarding, but it's important to consider the broader context and potential impact on other users sharing the same systems.
This project was primarily a learning exercise in desktop app development and web automation. Any similar implementation should carefully consider ethical implications and website terms of service.