How to vibe codeAppsmith

Prerequisites

• Node.jsfree

  Required runtime for running the Next.js development environment and tooling.

• GitHubfree

  Source code hosting and version control for the project repository.

AI coding tools

• Claude Code

  Unmatched ability to plan and execute multi-file architectural changes across a complex full-stack monorepo.

• Cursor

  Ideal for fine-tuning intricate canvas drag-and-drop components and React state bindings line by line.

Build guide

1. 01Project Scaffolding & Database Schema Setup

   Initialize the Next.js monorepo, configure Tailwind CSS, set up Neon Postgres with Drizzle ORM, and create database schemas for users, workspaces, applications, and page JSON definitions.

   Create a new Next.js 16 project with TypeScript and Tailwind CSS. Configure Drizzle ORM to connect to a Neon Postgres database. Define the database schema tables: users (id, email, name, createdAt), workspaces (id, name, ownerId, createdAt), applications (id, workspaceId, name, jsonSchema, createdAt, updatedAt). Ensure all foreign keys have proper indexes and cascade deletes. Set up environment variable validation using Zod. Write a test script to verify database connectivity and table creation against Neon.

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2. 02Authentication Integration

   Implement local and OAuth authentication using better-auth, linking user accounts to the workspaces table.

   Integrate better-auth into the Next.js application supporting email/password and Google OAuth logins. Configure the auth schema to store sessions and accounts in the Neon Postgres database. Create sign-in and sign-up pages using Tailwind CSS that match a clean developer tool aesthetic. Add middleware to protect dashboard and editor routes, redirecting unauthenticated users to the sign-in page. Ensure proper session token validation on API routes.

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3. 03Workspace & Application Dashboard

   Build the main dashboard where users can manage workspaces, create new internal applications, and delete existing ones.

   Build a dashboard UI in Next.js using Tailwind CSS and Lucide React icons. The dashboard should display the user's workspaces and a list of applications within each workspace. Implement modal dialogs for 'Create New Application' and 'Create Workspace' that interact with backend API routes. Add client-side state management using Zustand and optimistic UI updates for app creation and deletion. Ensure clean error handling and loading states throughout.

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4. 04Visual Canvas & Drag-and-Drop Editor

   Develop the core visual editor canvas supporting component placement, selection, and property inspection.

   Build a visual low-code editor canvas page at /editor/[appId]. Use @dnd-kit or a grid layout manager to allow users to drag UI widgets (Button, Input, Table, Text) from a sidebar onto a central canvas grid. Maintain application state as a JSON tree structure in a Zustand store. Implement a right-hand property inspector sidebar that dynamically updates the properties (label, default value, action bindings) of the currently selected widget on the canvas.

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5. 05JavaScript Evaluation Sandbox & Action Binding

   Implement a secure expression evaluation engine using Node.js vm or similar sandboxing to allow widgets to reference state and data sources dynamically via double curly braces {{ }}.

   Implement a JavaScript expression evaluation engine for the low-code builder. When users type expressions wrapped in double curly braces (e.g., {{ Table1.selectedRow.email }}) in widget properties, create a safe execution context using Node.js vm or an isolated evaluation parser. Parse binding strings, inject widget state and query results into the global scope safely, and evaluate expressions without allowing prototype pollution or unauthorized process access. Display evaluated results live in the property inspector.

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6. 06Data Source Query Runner

   Create a modular query execution engine allowing apps to connect to external REST APIs or Postgres databases and run queries triggered by widget events.

   Build a query configuration panel inside the editor allowing users to define REST API queries (URL, method, headers, body) or Postgres SQL queries. Implement a backend API route /api/execute-query that safely executes configured queries using node-fetch or pg pool based on stored connection credentials. Link query execution outputs to the global application state so widgets like tables can bind to query data results (e.g., {{ ApiQuery.data }}).

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7. 07App Viewer Mode & Polish

   Build the end-user app viewer mode that renders saved application JSON schemas into interactive functional tools without editor controls.

   Create a published app viewer route at /view/[appId] that fetches the application JSON schema from the database and renders the UI widgets in read-only operational mode. Implement event handlers so button clicks trigger configured queries and JavaScript actions correctly. Add end-to-end polish, responsive layout checks, and error boundaries around widget rendering to ensure corrupt user schemas do not crash the runtime.

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Cost vs paying for Appsmith