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Quiz Web Application

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Quiz Web Application

Ananya De's photo
Ananya De
·

3 min read

In this blog post, we'll walk through the process of building a quiz web application using the Open Trivia Database API. We'll cover the technologies used, the challenges faced, and the key steps to create an interactive and engaging quiz application.

Technologies Used

To create our quiz web application, we'll be using the following technologies:

  1. HTML: For creating the structure of our web pages.

  2. CSS: For styling the user interface and making our app visually appealing.

  3. JavaScript: For fetching data from the API, handling user interactions, and dynamically updating the content.

  4. Open Trivia Database API: We'll use this API to fetch trivia questions for our quiz.

Steps to Build the Quiz App

1. Project Setup

Before diving into coding, set up a project directory with the necessary HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files. You can use a code editor like Visual Studio Code or an online editor like CodePen.

2. Design the User Interface

Start by designing the user interface (UI) of your quiz app. Create HTML elements for displaying questions, answer options, a timer, and a submit button. Style these elements using CSS to make the app visually appealing.

3. Fetching Questions

To fetch trivia questions from the Open Trivia Database API, you'll need to make an HTTP request using JavaScript.

var api_url = new URL("https://opentdb.com/api.php?");

const params = new URLSearchParams(document.location.search);
params.forEach((value, key) => {
      if (value != "any") {
        api_url.searchParams.append(key, value);
      }
});

4. Display Questions

Once you've fetched the questions, dynamically create HTML elements to display them on the page. You can loop through the questions and generate radio buttons for answer options. Make sure to handle user interactions, such as selecting answers.

5. Implement a Timer

Adding a timer to your quiz app can make it more challenging and engaging. Use JavaScript to create a countdown timer that updates in real-time. When the timer reaches zero, automatically submit the quiz.

function startTimerLine(time){
    counterLine = setInterval(timer, Math.floor(16000/quiz_width));
    function timer(){
        time += 1; //upgrading time value with 1
        time_line.style.width = time + "px"; //increasing width of time_line with px by time value
        if(time > quiz_width-2){ //if time value is greater than 549
            clearInterval(counterLine); //clear counterLine
        }
    }
}

6. Score Calculation

Calculate and display the user's score based on their correct answers. You can compare the selected answers with the correct answers from the API response.

7. Submit and Reset

Implement a submit button that allows users to submit their answers. After submission, display their score and an option to reset the quiz for another attempt.

Challenges Faced

While building a quiz web application, you might encounter some challenges:

  1. API Integration: Working with external APIs can be tricky. You may need to handle various response formats, errors, and rate limits.

  2. Timer: Implementing a timer that accurately counts down can be challenging, especially if you want it to work smoothly across different devices and browsers.

  3. Scoring: Calculating the score based on user answers and comparing them to the correct answers requires careful coding.

  4. Responsive styling: Designing a responsive user interface is time-consuming.

    Github Link: https://github.com/anne-ananya/quiz

    Live Link: https://quizzy-b18b.onrender.com/