VVH Books Gallery - MERN
This project demonstrates a complete MERN workflow, allowing users to browse books, view detailed information, and create, edit, and delete comments through a structured REST API and React frontend.
- View detailed book information including author and publication year.
- Create, edit, and delete your own comments.
- View detailed book information including author and publication year.
Problem & Goals
Build a responsive MERN frontend that connects with a Node/Express backend to present book records, support user comments (CRUD), and handle simple login state for comment ownership and editing.
Assignment
Create a React UI that consumes an existing API and supports comment CRUD tied to records.
Goals
- Browse & search books
- View book details and comments
- Authenticated comment CRUD & timestamps
Constraints
Work within provided backend endpoints and focus on client-side usability and performance.
Process
Modular development: set up backend, design schema, implement frontend routes, then add comments and auth flow.
Key Features
- Search & filter
- Book details with comment thread
- Optimistic UI updates for comments
Timeline
Incremental milestones: data model → list/detail → comments → polish.
Results
- Working CRUD pipeline for comments
- User ownership and edit permissions implemented
- Stable routing and responsive UI
Learnings & Next Steps
- Enhance auth with JWT
- Improve form validation and UX
- Implement pagination and skeleton loaders
