Resume Modifier

A powerful, local-first resume editing application
Built to solve the pain of tailoring resumes for different job applications

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The Problem

As a job seeker applying to multiple roles, I faced a common challenge:

• Each job requires a tailored resume — different keywords, different emphasis
• Managing multiple resume versions becomes a nightmare in Word/Google Docs
• No live preview means constant export-and-check cycles
• ATS optimization requires tracking which skills are highlighted per role
• Version control is non-existent in traditional tools

The Solution

I built Resume Modifier — a local-first web application that treats resumes as structured data, not documents.

Key Innovations:

• Profile-based system: Create dedicated profiles for "Software Engineer", "Data Engineer", "Full-Stack" etc.
• Live PDF preview: See exactly how your resume will look while editing
• Skills extraction panel: Instantly see all technologies mentioned across your resume
• JSON-powered editing: Paste JSON patches to make bulk updates programmatically
• Resume linting: Automatic quality checks (action verbs, bullet consistency, length warnings)

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Screenshots

Main Editor View

Two-column layout with live preview, skills extraction, and profile management

JSON Patch Modal

Paste JSON to make precise, programmatic updates to your resume

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Features

Feature	Description
Live Preview	Two-column WYSIWYG editing with real-time PDF preview
Profile Management	Create, duplicate, rename role-specific resume profiles
JSON Patch	Apply merge patches or RFC 6902 operations for bulk edits
Skills Panel	Auto-extracted tech stack from all resume sections
Resume Linter	Quality warnings: action verbs, consistency, length
PDF Export	One-click PDF generation via Playwright
Local Storage	All data stays on your machine (SQLite)
Keyboard Navigation	Click any field in preview to jump to edit form

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Tech Stack

Frontend

• Next.js 14 — React framework with App Router
• TypeScript — Type-safe development
• Tailwind CSS — Utility-first styling
• Monaco Editor — VS Code's editor for JSON editing

Backend & Data

• SQLite (better-sqlite3) — Local database for profiles
• Playwright — Headless browser for pixel-perfect PDF export
• Ajv — JSON Schema validation
• fast-json-patch — RFC 6902 JSON Patch implementation

Architecture Decisions

• Local-first: No cloud dependencies, all data on your machine
• Structured data: Resume stored as JSON, not as a document
• Profile isolation: Each role profile is independent
• Real-time sync: Changes reflect instantly in preview

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Quick Start

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Goku007007/resume-creator-modifier.git
cd resume-creator-modifier

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Install Playwright browsers (for PDF export)
npx playwright install chromium

# Start development server
./start.sh
# OR
npm run dev

The app will be available at http://localhost:3001

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Project Structure

resume-modifier/
├── app/                    # Next.js App Router pages
│   ├── page.tsx           # Main editor page
│   └── api/               # API routes (PDF generation, DB ops)
├── components/            # React components
│   ├── ResumePreview/     # Live preview renderer
│   ├── ResumeForm/        # Edit forms for each section
│   └── JsonPatchModal/    # JSON editing modal
├── lib/                   # Core utilities
│   ├── db.ts             # SQLite database operations
│   ├── resume-linter.ts  # Quality checking logic
│   └── json-patch.ts     # Patch application logic
├── types/                 # TypeScript type definitions
└── scripts/              # Data import/export scripts

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Resume JSON Schema

The application uses a structured JSON format for resume data:

interface ResumeJSON {
  profileMeta: {
    profileName: string;      // e.g., "Software Engineer"
    resumeName: string;       // Filename for PDF
    updatedAt: string;
  };
  basics: {
    name: string;
    email: string;
    phone: string;
    links: Array<{ label: string; url: string }>;
  };
  sections: {
    skills: {
      heading: string;
      groups: Array<{ label: string; items: string[] }>;
    };
    experience: Array<{
      company: string;
      location: string;
      title: string;
      start: string;
      end: string | null;
      bullets: string[];
      tech?: string[];
    }>;
    projects: Array<{
      name: string;
      link?: string;
      bullets: string[];
    }>;
    education: Array<{
      school: string;
      degree: string;
    }>;
  };
  rendering: {
    fontFamily: string;
    fontSize: number;
    lineHeight: number;
    pageSize: "LETTER" | "A4";
    density: "COMPACT" | "NORMAL" | "SPACIOUS";
  };
}

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JSON Patch Examples

Merge Patch (Simple Updates)

{
  "basics": {
    "name": "New Name"
  },
  "sections": {
    "skills": {
      "groups": [
        { "label": "Languages", "items": ["Python", "TypeScript", "SQL"] }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RFC 6902 Patch (Precise Operations)

[
  { "op": "replace", "path": "/basics/name", "value": "New Name" },
  { "op": "add", "path": "/sections/experience/0/bullets/-", "value": "New achievement" },
  { "op": "remove", "path": "/sections/projects/2" }
]

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Data Storage

All data is stored locally in SQLite:

~/Library/Application Support/resume-modifier/data.db

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Development

# Run development server
npm run dev

# Build for production
npm run build

# Run linting
npm run lint

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License

MIT

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_{Built by Gokul Nandakumar}