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Getting Started Resource Center

Build a Full-Stack React Application

Task 3: Build the Frontend

Introduction

Overview

You will learn how to use the Amplify UI component library to scaffold out an entire user authentication flow, allowing users to sign up, sign in, and reset their password with just few lines of code. Additionally, you will build an app frontend that allows users to create, update, and delete their notes. They will also be able to upload an image and associate it with a note.

What you will accomplish

  • Install Amplify libraries

  • Configure your React app to include authentication, data, and storage for the Notes feature

Implementation

Install the Amplify libraries

You will need two Amplify libraries for your project. The main aws-amplify library contains all of the client-side APIs for connecting your app's frontend to your backend and the @aws-amplify/ui-react library contains framework-specific UI components.

1. Use npm to install libraries

Open a new terminal window, navigate to you projects folder (notesapp), and run the following command to install these libraries in the root of the project.

npm install aws-amplify @aws-amplify/ui-react

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Style the App UI

1. Update the Notes UI

On your local machine, navigate to the notesapp/src/index.css file, and update it with the following code to set the style of the Notes UI. Then, save the file.

:root {  font-family: Inter, system-ui, Avenir, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;  line-height: 1.5;  font-weight: 400;  color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.87);  font-synthesis: none;  text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;  -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;  -moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale;  max-width: 1280px;  margin: 0 auto;  padding: 2rem;}.card {  padding: 2em;}.read-the-docs {  color: #888;}.box:nth-child(3n + 1) {  grid-column: 1;}.box:nth-child(3n + 2) {  grid-column: 2;}.box:nth-child(3n + 3) {  grid-column: 3;}
File directory structure of a "notesapp" project, with "App.jsx" highlighted in the "src" folder.

Implement the UI flow for Notes feature

In this step, you will update the src/App.jsx to configure the Amplify library with the client configuration file (amplify_outputs.json). Then, it will generate a data client using the generateClient() function.

The code uses the Amplify Authenticator component to scaffold out an entire user authentication flow allowing users to sign up, sign in, reset their password, and confirm sign-in for multifactor authentication (MFA).

Additionally, the code contains the following:

  • fetchNotes - Use the data client to list the items in the Notes model.

  • createNote - Get the data from the form and use the data client to create a new note if the user selects an image. Then, the function will upload this image to Amplify storage and associate it with the new note.

  • deleteNote - Use the data client to delete the selected note.

1. Update the Amplify Authenticator component

On your local machine, navigate to the notesapp/src/App.jsx file, and update it with the following code.

File directory structure of a "notesapp" project, with "App.jsx" highlighted in the "src" folder.

3. Open the app

Select the Local host link to open the application.

Terminal output showing Vite server running locally with additional instructions.

4. Create an account

Choose the Create Account tab, and use the authentication flow to create a new user by entering your email address and a password. Then, choose Create Account.

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5. Get verification code

You will get a verification code sent to your email. Enter the verification code to log in to the app. When signed in, you can start creating notes and delete them.

"Email verification screen with a confirmation code input field, pre-filled with '123456,' and buttons for 'Confirm' and 'Resend Code.'"

6. Push changes to GitHub

Open a new terminal window, navigate to your app's root folder (notesapp), and run the following command to push the changes to GitHub: 

git add .git commit -m 'the notes app'git push origin main

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7. Sign into the console

Sign in to the AWS Management Console in a new browser window, and open the AWS Amplify console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/amplify/apps.

8. View your web app

AWS Amplify automatically builds your source code and deployed your app at https://...amplifyapp.com, and on every git push your deployment instance will update. Select the Visit deployed URL button to see your web app up and running live.

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Congratulations

You have now connected your App to the Amplify backend and built a frontend allowing the users to create, edit, and delete notes. Users will also be able to upload an image and associate it with a note.

Clean up Resources

Start Task Four