I’ve begun building a rudimentary fake dating app. For practice purposes.
(Coding practice, I mean.)
Two aspects about a dating app provide especially valuable learning opportunities for the developer:
- Working with data;
- Unique design features;
To briefly elaborate:
A dating app requires users. Our users, of course, will be notional. But each user will nevertheless have associated data: name, age, location, biography, etc. Working with that data will allow us practice with fundamental JavaScript tools, especially in regards to iterables: Tools to helps us splice and push to arrays, query arrays for objects by id, map through arrays, etc.
In other words, working with data will allow us to explore the JavaScript API beyond what’s exposed via React.
Because the intended device for dating apps is often the phone (and will be in the case of our practice app), the user interface provides opportunity to code some features whose implementation I’m not familiar; for example, the swipe functionality.
To be totally honest: I literally have no idea in regards to the swipe functionality. 😱
I imagine this challenge will have one of three results:
- There’s an existing npm library that makes coding the swipe functionality a snap;
- There’s an existing npm library but it’s so difficult to incorporate into our specific case that we ultimately end up Mr. Magoo’ing our way to an original implementation via some combination of CSS, JavaScript, and help from Stack Overflow.
- The swipe is solely a mobile functionality that requires the use of Swift, Java, or some other language or framework that can manipulate the native mobile API (in ways beyond the scope of this practice app, at least).
Should the actual result be number three, we’ll adapt and overcome (ihavenoidea 🤞).
The swipe functionality is a great example of the totally not-extraordinary challenges that nevertheless provide certainly extraordinary fulfillment upon completing. I encounter these little giant challenges almost daily and find that they are exactly what make coding such a dynamic (and enjoyable) activity.
Undoubtedly, a simple google search would provide a quick solution to our swipe quandary, but would also totally spoil the fun (and learning opportunity).
So, we should capitalize by achieving the benefits from figuring this one out.
As I build, I’ll share some of my observations here. This is 100% not a tutorial. In truth, I’ll be learning as much from this coding exercise as the readers.
I began building our practice dating app last night:
There’ll be no detail about the actual code during today’s post, other than to say that I feel mildly vulnerable sharing some of it publicly. This is a practice project so I’m going to try techniques that I haven’t before. Most of them aren’t advanced or anything; just advanced to me because I’ve never used them. 😄
The point is: whatever I share here in regards to the development of this app will be my sincere observations from the experience, not a retracted version. It’s almost certain that some of my initial attempts will be met with deserved cringes from more senior developers, but I figure that sharing both failures and successes will be:
- more interesting for readers;
- allow other developers to avoid my mistakes;
- and, more selfishly: provide any potential employers insight into my competency (as well as my shortcomings!) in regards to coding and project management — in ways that a resume can not.
But, I know it won’t always be pretty.
(Editor’s note: The impetus for writing at all is because I find the community — especially online — amongst developers a fascinating aspect of the software industry. I aim to contribute to it and, ultimately, intend to code live on twitch. Blogging is an initial step on that path.)
If this sounds like a project you’d like to explore with me, please follow for updates. And be sure to visit BoGoodSki.com 👍
Thanks for reading.
