Devlog #4

Time logged: 19 minutes
Mission: Deploy the app
Rality: Deploy the app, break the app, fix the app, question reality

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The Great Deployment Adventure

Today I decided my Notes App deserved to leave the cozy safety of Codespaces and enter the real world.

This was a mistake.

At first, everything seemed fine:

• Backend deployed
• Frontend deployed
• Confidence deployed

Then the app hit me with:

“Could not connect to the notes server.”

Wonderful.

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The Mystery of the Missing Notes

The backend insisted it was alive.

I visited:

/api/notes

And it proudly responded:

[]

Which is programmer for:

“Yes, I’m working. No, I have no friends.”

At least I knew the server wasn’t dead.

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The Deployment Detective Arc

I spent the next few minutes playing detective.

Questions included:

• Is the backend running?
• Is the frontend running?
• Is the API URL correct?
• Have I offended the internet somehow?

After sufficient poking, prodding, and staring at logs, I discovered the issue wasn’t total disaster.

For once.

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Render vs. SQLite

Render and SQLite had a brief disagreement.

Render:

“Please start.”

SQLite:

“No.”

Eventually they came to an understanding.

Mostly.

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Final Thoughts

In just 19 minutes:

• I deployed a backend
• I deployed a frontend
• I convinced a database to cooperate
• I learned that [] can be emotionally reassuring
• I received several error messages with amazing confidence

Devlog #3

Time logged: 26 minutes
Main enemy: 404 Not Found

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The Great Demo Page Construction

Today’s coding session wasn’t about React, Express, or SQLite.
It was about something far more heroic:

Making a demo page so my project stops returning a 404.

I created a docs/ folder, dropped an index.html inside, and suddenly felt like a front-end engineer from 2012.
Pure HTML.
No frameworks.
Just vibes.

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The “Why Does Ship Hate My Demo Link?” Arc

The moment I realized Ship requires a public demo link, not a Codespaces URL that only works when I’m awake and the stars align, I knew what had to be done.

So I built a whole mini-website:

• Title
• Description
• Features
• Screenshot placeholder
• Buttons
• Instructions

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The HTML Shenanigans

I wrote CSS like a person who has seen too much:

• centered text
• rounded screenshots
• blue buttons
• margins that actually look normal

It’s not fancy, but it works.
And most importantly:

It does not 404.

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Final Thoughts

In just 26 minutes:

• I defeated the 404 monster
• I created a demo page that actually loads
• I made GitHub Pages happy
• And now Ship will (maybe?) accept my project

Honestly?
A surprisingly productive micro-session.

Devlog #2

Time logged: 2h 16m
Emotional damage: minimal
Coffee consumed: classified
Bugs defeated: several
Bugs created: also several

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The Great Construction Phase

I opened the project like a surgeon preparing for an operation.
Except instead of scalpels, I had:

• React components
• Express routes
• And a database that behaves like a moody houseplant

Folders appeared.
Files multiplied.
Imports broke.
Imports were fixed.
I felt powerful.

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The “Why Is This Not Working?” Arc

At some point, I wrote code so elegant it should’ve been framed.
Then I ran it.

It immediately threw an error.
Classic.

I spent a solid 14 minutes staring at the screen like:

“Explain yourself.”

Eventually, I found the problems.
Victory tasted sweet.

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The Backend Awakens

Express booted up like a sleepy dragon.
SQLite whispered:

“I’m small… but I will store your deepest secrets.”

Endpoints were created:

• GET /notes - for reading your questionable ideas
• POST /notes - for adding new questionable ideas
• DELETE /notes - for removing the really questionable ones

Everything worked.
Until it didn’t.
Then it worked again.
I don’t question it anymore.

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Frontend Chaos (React Edition)

I built components like a lego master:

• NoteList - where your thoughts go to hang out
• NoteEditor - where new chaos is born
• SearchBar - because sometimes you forget what chaos you wrote

React was cooperative today.
Mostly.
Except when it wasn’t.
But we don’t talk about that.

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The Legendary “Why Won’t You Connect?” Saga

Frontend and backend behaved like two siblings forced to share a room.

Frontend:

“I can’t find the server.”

Backend:

“I’m literally right here.”

Me:

“Both of you, stop.”

Eventually, they made peace.
The API worked.
I celebrated by saving a note titled “IT WORKS!!!”

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Final Thoughts

After 2 hours and 16 minutes:

• The app runs
• The notes save
• The database behaves
• The components render
• And I only threatened to delete the whole project twice

Honestly?
A successful dev session.

Devlog

Full-Stack Notes App (React + Express + SQLite)

Project Structure Appears

I created folders so organized they could win a beauty pageant.
Backend, frontend, devcontainer - the holy trinity.
If Marie Kondo saw this repo, she’d shed a single joyful tear.

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Devcontainer Magic

I wrote a devcontainer that installs everything automatically.
It’s basically a tiny robot that whispers:

“Don’t worry, Paula… I got you.”

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Backend Time

I built an Express API so simple it could run on a potato.
SQLite joined the party because it requires zero setup and has strong “I’m small but mighty” energy.

Endpoints:

• GET notes
• POST notes
• DELETE notes
  Basically: CRUD, but make it cute.

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Frontend Shenanigans

React + Vite.
Components everywhere.
I made:

• NoteList (aka “the list of your questionable ideas”)
• NoteEditor (where chaos is born)
• SearchBar (for when you forget what chaos you wrote)