Optimizing Your First Serious Web Project: Top Lessons and Vue Tips for Developers
Embarking on your first significant web development journey can be both exciting and daunting. Recently, I had the opportunity to create a comprehensive Notion extension that integrates data retrieval from Notion databases and dispatches email reports. This project provided invaluable insights and practical lessons that I’d like to share with fellow developers, especially those working with modern JavaScript frameworks like Vue.js.
You can explore the live application here: https://ocean-digest.com
Project Stack Overview:
– Nuxt.js (Vue framework)
– Supabase (Backend as a Service)
– Stripe (Payment processing)
– Notion API (Data integration)
– Google Cloud Platform (Serverless functions)
– Cloudflare (CDN and security)
Now, let’s delve into key takeaways that can streamline your development process and enhance your project’s quality.
- Prioritize Data Validation Before TypeScript Definitions
In the initial phases, I crafted TypeScript interfaces and classes for backend data structures. Only later did I realize the importance of implementing schema validation with tools like Zod. Incorporating validation schemas upfront allows for more reliable data handling, reduces bugs, and enables automatic generation of TypeScript interfaces from schemas. This approach minimizes redundant code adjustments and ensures data integrity from the start.
- Keep State Management Simple and Focused
Originally, I stored miscellaneous UI states—for instance, modal visibility and notification lists—in a Pinia store. Over time, I recognized that cluttered stores can become unwieldy. I transitioned to using composables with Nuxt’s useState for UI-specific logic, reserving Pinia stores for core data that genuinely needs centralized management. This separation simplifies state management and improves maintainability.
- Leverage Vue’s Provide/Inject for Complex Data Passing
Prop drilling can become cumbersome when passing data through deeply nested components. While props remain the standard, Vue’s provide and inject offer a cleaner alternative for sharing data across component hierarchies. Use provide to supply data at a higher level and inject to access it where needed, making your component trees less cluttered and easier to manage. Additionally, defineExpose can facilitate communication from child to parent components, helping avoid unnecessary props.
- Validate the Necessity of New Features Before Implementation
It’s tempting to add new features immediately, but this can lead to wasted effort on functionalities
