Developer Guide

Complete guide for developers working on Smart Shelf inventory management system

Developer Guide

Welcome to the Smart Shelf developer documentation! This guide provides everything you need to develop, maintain, and contribute to the Smart Shelf inventory management system.

Quick Start

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 18.17 or later
  • pnpm (recommended) or npm
  • Git
  • Supabase account (for database)

Setup Commands

# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/your-username/smart-shelf.git
cd smart-shelf
pnpm install

# Configure environment
cp .env.example .env.local
# Add your Supabase credentials

# Start development
pnpm dev

Documentation Sections

🚀 Setup & Environment

Get your development environment up and running with detailed setup instructions, environment configuration, and troubleshooting tips.

🏗️ Architecture

Understand the project structure, code organization patterns, and architectural decisions that shape the codebase.

🧩 Component Development

Learn component patterns, best practices for reusable UI components, and how to handle error states and forms effectively.

🔌 API Development

Master API routes, server actions, validation patterns, and error handling for robust backend functionality.

🗄️ Database

Work with Supabase, learn query optimization, service layer patterns, and database best practices.

🔐 Authentication & Security

Implement secure authentication, role-based access control, and security best practices.

📊 State Management

Manage application state effectively using Server Components, React hooks, and Context API patterns.

🧪 Testing

Write comprehensive tests including unit tests, component tests, integration tests, and E2E testing strategies.

⚡ Performance Optimization

Optimize your application for performance through bundle optimization, component optimization, and caching strategies.

🤝 Contributing

Learn the development workflow, code review process, and how to contribute effectively to the project.

Tech Stack Overview

Frontend

  • Next.js 15 - React framework with App Router
  • React 19 - UI library with Server Components
  • TypeScript - Type safety and better DX
  • Tailwind CSS - Utility-first CSS framework
  • shadcn/ui - High-quality component library

Backend & Database

  • Supabase - PostgreSQL database with real-time features
  • Server Actions - Type-safe server mutations
  • Row Level Security - Database-level authorization

Development Tools

  • pnpm - Fast, disk space efficient package manager
  • ESLint - Code linting and formatting
  • Jest - Unit and integration testing
  • Playwright - End-to-end testing

Development Workflow

  1. Setup - Clone, install dependencies, configure environment
  2. Develop - Make changes, write tests, follow conventions
  3. Test - Run unit tests, E2E tests, manual testing
  4. Review - Code review process, automated checks
  5. Deploy - Merge to main, automatic deployment

Key Concepts

Server Components

Next.js 15 Server Components allow you to render components on the server, reducing client-side JavaScript and improving performance.

Server Actions

Type-safe server functions that handle form submissions and mutations without requiring separate API routes.

Supabase Integration

Real-time PostgreSQL database with built-in authentication, storage, and edge functions.

Getting Help

  • 📖 Documentation: Start with the specific guides above
  • 🐛 Issues: Check existing issues or create new ones
  • 💬 Discussions: Use GitHub Discussions for questions
  • 🔧 Development: Follow the setup guide to get started

Ready to contribute? Start with the Setup & Environment guide!