Basic (front/back)
Three separate built-in types are all variants of the same "front side / back side" idea: the only differences between them are how many cards they generate and which direction those cards work in.
Fields
All three start with the same two basic fields:
- Front: the question side.
- Back: the answer side.
The Basic (optional reversed) type has a third field:
- Add reverse card (addReverse): put anything at all in this field (the content doesn't matter, and it never shows up on any card) and a reverse card is also generated; leave it blank and it isn't. This is an unusual behavior, noted again below.
Differences between the three variants
| Type | How many cards | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Basic (front/back) | 1 | Front → back only |
| Basic (reversed) | 2 | Front → back, and always also back → front |
| Basic (optional reversed) | 1 or 2 | Front → back, plus back → front if you fill in the reverse-card field |
Example
Given an English word and its Turkish translation entered as a note:
- Front:
apple - Back:
elma(Turkish for "apple")
With Basic (front/back), a single card is generated: you're asked "apple," and expected to answer "elma."
With Basic (reversed), the same note generates two cards: you're asked "apple" and expected to answer "elma," and, separately, you're asked "elma" and expected to answer "apple." Useful for relationships you want to learn in both directions, such as word/translation pairs or term/definition matches.
With Basic (optional reversed), filling in the same two fields but leaving "Add reverse card" blank generates a single card (it behaves like the non-reversed type); putting anything at all in that field generates two cards (it behaves like the reversed type). If you want single- direction cards for some notes and two-way cards for others while using the same note type, this third type lets you choose per note without switching between the other two.
Tips
- The "Add reverse card" field looks like a text box, but it actually functions like a toggle switch: fill it in or leave it blank, what you type doesn't matter. A single space or one character is enough.
- If you don't want two-way card generation on every note (for example, when memorizing a term in just one direction is enough), Basic (optional reversed) can be a more flexible choice than the other two.
Good and bad examples
✅ Good:
Front: What is the function of the mitochondrion?
Back: It produces energy (ATP) for the cell.
A single question, a single answer. If there's something else you want to remember (like where the mitochondrion is located), make that a separate note.
❌ Bad:
Front: What is the mitochondrion, what is its function, and where is
it located?
Back: The mitochondrion is the powerhouse of the cell; it produces ATP;
it's located in the cell's cytoplasm.
You crammed three different questions into one card. Even if you know two of them and not the third, the card only gets a single "I know it" or "I don't know it" grade; three separate Basic notes would let you track each one at its own pace.
✅ Good (a fitting example for Basic reversed):
Front: capital
Back: başkent
"başkent" is Turkish for "capital." This really is a two-way relationship: you want to be quizzed on the English-to-Turkish direction and the Turkish-to-English direction alike, so asking in both directions makes sense.
❌ Bad (reversing something that only makes sense one way):
Front: What is the capital of France?
Back: Paris
Write this with Basic (reversed) and the second card asks "Paris" and expects the answer "What is the capital of France?" That direction doesn't make sense as a question, and you've generated a useless card. Basic (front/back) is enough for this example.