5 Key Insights from My First Major Web Development Project + Vue.js Tips
Embarking on your first comprehensive web application can be both exciting and challenging. Recently, I completed a significant project—a Notion extension that pulls data from databases and delivers it via email reports. If you’re interested, you can explore the live version here: https://ocean-digest.com.
For this project, I utilized a powerful tech stack, including Nuxt.js, Supabase, Stripe, Notion API, Google Cloud Functions, and Cloudflare. Throughout the process, I learned several valuable lessons that I believe can help others streamline their workflow and avoid common pitfalls.
1. Prioritize Validation Rules Before Defining Types
Initially, I spent considerable time writing TypeScript classes and interfaces for my backend logic, only later realizing I should have implemented validation schemas first. Incorporating a validation tool like Zod early on allows you to validate data effectively and even generate TypeScript types from schemas. This approach reduces redundancy and ensures data integrity from the outset, saving time and reducing errors down the line.
2. Keep State Management Lean in Nuxt with Pinia
At the beginning, I stored miscellaneous UI states—such as modal visibility and notification arrays—in Pinia stores. However, I found this led to clutter and harder-to-maintain code. Transitioning to composables using Nuxt’s useState for UI logic kept my store focused solely on critical data. This segregation made my state management more manageable and clearer, aligning with best practices for scalable Vue applications.
3. Utilize Provide/Inject for Passing Data
Typically, passing data via props is straightforward, but this approach can lead to prop drilling—especially with deeply nested components. In those cases, Vue’s provide/inject mechanism offers a cleaner solution for sharing data across component boundaries. When used judiciously, it enhances code clarity and simplifies data flow. Additionally, consider Vue’s defineExpose, which allows child components to selectively expose data to parent components, helping prevent unnecessary prop clutter.
4. Validate the Need Before Building New Features
It’s tempting to continuously add new features, but this can lead to wasted effort on functionalities that users never utilize. Before investing hours into implementing a feature, consider asking your target audience if it’s genuinely useful. This user-centric approach helps you focus your time on what matters most, ensuring your development efforts align with actual needs and avoid unnecessary complexity.
