I got Screenflow a couple of weeks ago. At first I wanted to create screencasts where I show something interesting but then I realized I can use it to better my coding. When I was creating the Tic Tac Toe screencast, I made several attempts before I finally got it down without any serious errors. Screenflow was really good at showing me where I went wrong.

On my first attempt, I made an error by forgetting to wrap my RSpec test inside of a it clause. I managed to continue through and finish the code but I was on the wrong track. I thought I called an incorrect matcher. It wasn’t until I showed it to Meagan when she pointed out that I missed the it clause.

Another benefit of using Screenflow is that you can speed up the video by 3.3x the speed. You can record yourself programming for the past hour and look back on what you did.

It might be a good idea to use Screenflow when I’m learning a new language or installing something for the first time. I can play it back and see where I went wrong and I can write a How-To article without having to keep track of my notes.