How to vibe codeStackby

Prerequisites

• Node.jsfree

  Required runtime environment for developing and executing the full-stack web application.

• GitHubfree

  Source code repository hosting and version control management during development.

AI coding tools

• Claude Code

  Performs complex multi-file scaffolding, writes robust TypeScript database services, and handles iterative debugging loops directly from the terminal.

• Cursor

  Provides an AI-native code editor workspace for fine-tuning complex React table components, virtualized DOM grids, and UI design systems.

Build guide

1. 01Project Scaffolding and Database Schema Initialization

   Initialize the Next.js project repository, configure Tailwind CSS, set up better-auth for workspace authentication, and establish the core Postgres database schema using Neon.

   Create a new Next.js 16 project with TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and App Router structure. Install better-auth and configure database models in Neon Postgres for Users, Workspaces, Stacks, Tables, Columns, and Rows. The Columns table must support a JSONB metadata field to store varying configurations for 30+ column types (such as text, number, single select, multi-select, date, attachment, rating, formula, and linked record). Implement database migration scripts and ensure strict foreign key relationships between rows, tables, and parent stacks. Add comprehensive unit tests verifying workspace isolation and permission models.

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2. 02Virtualized Spreadsheet Grid Engine

   Build a lightning-fast virtualized spreadsheet interface using TanStack Table and TanStack Virtual that supports inline cell editing, keyboard navigation, column reordering, and responsive sizing.

   Build a high-performance virtualized data grid component in React using TanStack Table and TanStack Virtual to render thousands of rows smoothly without DOM lagging. Implement cell selection, keyboard arrow navigation, copy-paste support, and inline cell editors tailored to column types (text inputs, dropdown selectors for select fields, interactive star ratings, date pickers, and file upload dialogs). Ensure that cell updates trigger optimistic UI updates while dispatching batch mutations to Next.js Server Actions. Handle edge cases such as empty state rendering, loading skeletons, and horizontal scrolling virtualization.

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3. 03Relational Linking, Lookups, and Rollup Formulas

   Implement cross-table record linking mechanisms, lookup fields that fetch referenced row values, and a safe formula calculation engine.

   Implement a relational record-linking engine allowing users to associate rows from Table A to Table B via a foreign key junction table. Create Lookup column types that automatically resolve and display field values from linked parent records. Build a safe formula parsing engine supporting basic mathematical operations, concatenation, and conditional logic across column values within the same row. Write robust backend validation checks to prevent circular dependencies in linked records and formula references, and ensure calculations recompute efficiently upon row mutation.

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4. 04Multi-View Layouts (Kanban, Calendar, Gallery, Timeline)

   Develop alternative visualization modules to render stack records as Kanban boards, Calendar schedules, Image Galleries, and Timelines.

   Develop alternative view rendering modules for the stack workspace. Implement a Kanban board view grouped by single-select or collaborator fields with drag-and-drop status changes. Build a Calendar view mapping records by date fields, a Gallery view displaying image attachments in responsive card grids, and a Timeline view visualizing date ranges. Ensure that state changes in any alternative view instantly synchronize with the core database grid and reflect changes across active client sessions.

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5. 05Real-Time Collaboration and Presence

   Integrate Liveblocks to enable real-time collaborative cursor tracking, user presence indicators, and live multi-user cell editing synchronization.

   Integrate Liveblocks into the Next.js application to power real-time collaborative editing. Implement user presence indicators showing who is currently viewing or editing a stack, real-time cursor tracking on grid cells, and conflict-free state synchronization for concurrent cell updates. Handle edge cases such as user disconnects, stale presence timeouts, and optimistic mutation rollbacks if server validation fails. Test multi-client synchronization thoroughly to ensure zero data overwrite collisions.

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6. 06Workflow Automation Engine and AI Field Agents

   Build an asynchronous trigger-action automation worker system and integrate the Vercel AI SDK to support LLM-powered column field generation.

   Build an asynchronous automation engine supporting trigger events (e.g., Row Created, Row Updated, Field Changed) and subsequent actions (e.g., Send Email via Resend, Trigger Webhook, Run AI Field Agent). Store automation definitions in Postgres and process execution runs via background worker queues. Integrate the Vercel AI SDK to power 'AI Fields', allowing users to configure prompt templates that execute LLM completions (using OpenAI or Anthropic API keys provided in workspace settings) to automatically generate or enrich text data directly inside specific table rows. Include an automation run history log viewer.

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Cost vs paying for Stackby