How to Build a Gatsby Frontend and Connect It to a Backend?

in this tutorial, you’ll build a to do list application using gatsby and connect it to a robust backend provided by back4app this guide is ideal for those looking to integrate essential crud (create, read, update, delete) operations into a fast, static site by the end, you’ll have a fully functional app that demonstrates how to harness back4app’s backend services while using gatsby for a blazing fast frontend building a full stack application can be challenging, with complexities such as backend setup, database management, authentication, and deployment to streamline this process, we use back4app—a scalable backend as a service (baas) solution —so you can concentrate on building your gatsby site while it handles hosting, databases, and apis back4app offers a comprehensive suite of backend services, including a ready to use database, authentication, cloud code for server side logic, and seamless sdk integrations its support for containerized deployments makes it an excellent option for modern full stack applications with these tools, you can quickly develop and deploy applications without managing server infrastructure key takeaways by following this tutorial you will learn to initialize a modern gatsby project integrate a backend service to manage your application’s data implement core crud operations for an interactive user experience deploy a fully functional to do list application using containerized workflows on back4app prerequisites ensure you have the following before you begin node js and npm install the latest lts version of node js from nodejs org https //nodejs org/ and verify by running node v and npm v in your terminal basic gatsby knowledge familiarity with react, graphql, and gatsby’s data layer is expected if you’re new to gatsby, consider reviewing its fundamentals first a back4app account sign up at back4app https //www back4app com/ to set up and manage your backend services with these prerequisites in place, you’re ready to set up your project and start building project setup begin by setting up your local development environment and initializing your gatsby project verify that node js (lts version) is installed if needed, download it from nodejs org https //nodejs org/ check your installation node v npm v create a new gatsby project using the gatsby cli run the following command (replace todo app with your desired project name) npx gatsby new todo app change into your project directory cd todo app start the development server to verify the setup npx gatsby develop your gatsby site should now be running locally open the provided url in your browser to confirm next, you’ll set up your backend on back4app to manage data storage and api interactions creating the todo backend back4app provides a fully managed backend service powered by parse , offering a nosql database, authentication, cloud code, and auto generated apis right out of the box this section will guide you through creating a task data model to store your to do items and connecting it with your gatsby frontend setting up your backend application log in to your back4app dashboard https //www back4app com/ and click "create a new app " name your application (for example, todogatsbyapp ) and select nodejs/parse as the backend type once the app is created, navigate to "database" > "browser" click "create a class" and choose "custom" name the class task and set the class level permissions to allow public read and write (you can refine these settings later) in the task class, add the following fields title (string) – the title of the task description (string) – details about the task completed (boolean) – indicates whether the task is completed duedate (date) – the deadline for the task click "save" to finalize your schema integrating back4app with gatsby integrate back4app into your gatsby project using the parse javascript sdk install the sdk via npm npm install parse configure the sdk by initializing it with your application id and javascript key retrieve these credentials from your back4app dashboard under app settings > security & keys in your project, create a file (for example, src/utils/parse config js ) and add the following configuration // src/utils/parse config js import parse from "parse/dist/parse min js"; const parse app id = 'your application id'; const parse js key = 'your javascript key'; const parse server url = 'https //parseapi back4app com/'; parse initialize(parse app id, parse js key); parse serverurl = parse server url; export default parse; you can now import this configuration into your gatsby pages and components to interact with your backend developing the frontend with gatsby now that your backend is connected, build the user interface for your to do list application using gatsby you’ll create pages and components to add, display, update, and delete tasks while leveraging react and graphql organizing your components your application will include the following key components taskform js – handles adding new tasks tasklist js – displays all tasks and provides controls for marking tasks complete or deleting them taskitem js – represents an individual task with actions to toggle completion or remove it create a components folder inside src and add these files mkdir src/components touch src/components/taskform js src/components/tasklist js src/components/taskitem js managing state with react hooks use react hooks ( usestate and useeffect ) for state management and side effects in your main page (e g , src/pages/index js ), set up the state as follows // src/pages/index js import react, { usestate, useeffect } from "react"; import parse from " /utils/parse config"; import taskform from " /components/taskform"; import tasklist from " /components/tasklist"; const indexpage = () => { const \[tasks, settasks] = usestate(\[]); const fetchtasks = async () => { try { const task = parse object extend("task"); const query = new parse query(task); const results = await query find(); settasks(results map(task => ({ id task id, task tojson() }))); } catch (error) { console error("error fetching tasks ", error); } }; useeffect(() => { fetchtasks(); }, \[]); return ( \<div classname="container"> \<h1>to do list\</h1> \<taskform fetchtasks={fetchtasks} /> \<tasklist tasks={tasks} fetchtasks={fetchtasks} /> \</div> ); }; export default indexpage; building the task form component in taskform js , create a controlled form for adding tasks manage input values using usestate and submit data to back4app // src/components/taskform js import react, { usestate } from "react"; import parse from " /utils/parse config"; const taskform = ({ fetchtasks }) => { const \[title, settitle] = usestate(""); const \[description, setdescription] = usestate(""); const handlesubmit = async (e) => { e preventdefault(); try { const task = parse object extend("task"); const task = new task(); task set("title", title); task set("description", description); task set("completed", false); await task save(); fetchtasks(); settitle(""); setdescription(""); } catch (error) { console error("error adding task ", error); } }; return ( \<form onsubmit={handlesubmit}> \<input type="text" placeholder="task title" value={title} onchange={(e) => settitle(e target value)} required /> \<input type="text" placeholder="description" value={description} onchange={(e) => setdescription(e target value)} required /> \<button type="submit">add task\</button> \</form> ); }; export default taskform; displaying the task list in tasklist js , render the list of tasks by mapping through the tasks array and using the taskitem component // src/components/tasklist js import react from "react"; import taskitem from " /taskitem"; const tasklist = ({ tasks, fetchtasks }) => { return ( \<div> {tasks length === 0 ? ( \<p>no tasks available\</p> ) ( tasks map(task => ( \<taskitem key={task id} task={task} fetchtasks={fetchtasks} /> )) )} \</div> ); }; export default tasklist; creating the task item component in taskitem js , create a component that allows you to mark a task as complete or delete it // src/components/taskitem js import react from "react"; import parse from " /utils/parse config"; const taskitem = ({ task, fetchtasks }) => { const handlecomplete = async () => { try { const query = new parse query("task"); const tasktoupdate = await query get(task id); tasktoupdate set("completed", !task completed); await tasktoupdate save(); fetchtasks(); } catch (error) { console error("error updating task ", error); } }; const handledelete = async () => { try { const query = new parse query("task"); const tasktodelete = await query get(task id); await tasktodelete destroy(); fetchtasks(); } catch (error) { console error("error deleting task ", error); } }; return ( \<div classname={`task item ${task completed ? "completed" ""}`}> \<h3>{task title}\</h3> \<p>{task description}\</p> \<button onclick={handlecomplete}> {task completed ? "undo" "complete"} \</button> \<button onclick={handledelete}>delete\</button> \</div> ); }; export default taskitem; styling your application create a styles css file in the src folder with basic styling / src/styles css / container { max width 600px; margin 40px auto; padding 0 20px; text align center; font family sans serif; } container h1 { margin bottom 20px; } form { display flex; flex direction column; align items center; gap 10px; margin bottom 20px; } form input\[type="text"] { width 80%; max width 400px; padding 8px; box sizing border box; font size 1rem; } form button { padding 8px 16px; cursor pointer; font size 1rem; border none; background color #eaeaea; transition background color 0 2s ease; } form button\ hover { background color #ccc; } container p { font size 1rem; } task item { display flex; flex direction column; align items center; justify content center; gap 12px; border 1px solid #ccc; border radius 6px; padding 15px; margin 10px 0; background color #fafafa; text align center; transition background color 0 2s ease; } task item completed h3, task item completed p { text decoration line through; color #888; } task item h3 { margin 0; font size 1 1rem; } task item p { margin 0; font size 1rem; } task item button { padding 6px 12px; border none; background color #eaeaea; cursor pointer; font size 0 9rem; } task item button\ hover { background color #ccc; } @media (min width 600px) { task item { flex direction row; } } import this css in your gatsby layout or page (for example, in gatsby browser js ) // gatsby browser js import " /src/styles css"; finalizing the ui your gatsby to do list application now features a dynamic frontend integrated with back4app and custom styling the app enables you to add, display, update, and delete tasks while ensuring efficient frontend backend communication next, you’ll deploy your gatsby site using back4app’s web deployment platform deploying the frontend on back4app web deployment back4app web deployment offers a fully managed, containerized environment for hosting your applications with docker based deployments, you can package your gatsby site and deploy it effortlessly configuring gatsby for production gatsby generates a static site by default build your production ready site with npx gatsby build creating a dockerfile for your site before creating a dockerfile , first create a dockerignore file in your project's root directory and add these lines of code git node modules eslint prettier git vscode readme md dockerfile docker compose yml public cache next, create a docker compose yml file to use docker compose commands the target of the file should be the deploy stage in your dockerfile your docker compose yml file should contain the commands below version '3' services app image todo app gatsby build context dockerfile dockerfile target deploy ports \ "8000 80" now, you create a dockerfile in the project root to containerize your gatsby site from node 20 as build workdir /usr/src/app copy run npm install run npm run build from nginx 1 18 alpine as deploy workdir /usr/share/nginx/html run rm rf / copy from=build /usr/src/app/public entrypoint \[ "nginx", " g", "daemon off;" ] testing the container locally before deployment, build and test your docker container docker build t todo gatsby frontend run the container docker run p 8000 80 todo gatsby frontend visit http //localhost 8000 in your browser to verify that your site is served correctly pushing to github and deploying via back4app push your project to github git init git add git commit m "initial commit for back4app deployment" git branch m main git remote add origin \<your github repository url> git push u origin main then, deploy using back4app web deployment log in to back4app web deployment https //www back4app com/containers click "create new app" , provide a name, and select github repository authorize back4app to access your repository and select the todo gatsby repo choose dockerfile deployment and confirm the build settings click "deploy" to initiate the build process monitoring and managing deployments after deployment, use the back4app dashboard to view logs for troubleshooting monitor container performance and resource usage trigger redeployments on new commits configure custom domains if needed testing and debugging your application once deployed, thoroughly test your gatsby site verify api connectivity open your browser’s developer console (f12 → network) to check api calls during task operations add and retrieve tasks use the ui to add tasks, then refresh to confirm data persistence in the back4app database browser test crud operations ensure that marking tasks complete and deletion reflect correctly in the backend handle edge cases validate form inputs and simulate slow network conditions using developer tools if issues arise, review the back4app logs or check your api configuration best practices for using back4app services enhance your application’s performance and security by optimizing api calls use batch requests for multiple operations and query only necessary fields securing sensitive data store credentials like application id and javascript key in environment variables with gatsby, create a env file gatsby parse app id=your app id gatsby parse js key=your js key enabling auto scaling activate auto scaling in back4app web deployment to manage high traffic enhancing security restrict class level permissions (clps) to control data modifications and set up acls as needed utilizing cloud code offload complex logic to cloud code for better performance and reduced api exposure conclusion you have now built a full stack to do list application using gatsby for the frontend and back4app’s robust backend services this tutorial guided you through setting up a gatsby project, integrating the parse sdk, and deploying your site using containerized workflows on back4app as you continue developing, consider adding features such as advanced user authentication, real time updates, and third party integrations for further information and support, refer to the back4app documentation https //www back4app com/docs