React Studio + Xano: building a restaurants app

Are you a no-code enthusiast, citizen developer, or a traditional developer looking to build applications quickly without getting bogged down by backend development? Look no further! In this step-by-step guide, we'll explore how to create a restaurant app using Xano, a powerful no-code platform, and React Studio, a visual front-end builder that generates clean React code.

Setting Up the Backend with Xano

1. Launch Xano and Start a New Workspace: Open Xano and navigate to the JumpStart Wizard. Click "Get Started" and name your workspace (e.g., "React Studio Restaurants").
2. Create Database Tables: Set up two database tables: "Users" and "Restaurants". The "Restaurants" table will hold information about different restaurants.
3. Configure API Endpoints: Select the option to auto-generate API endpoints for your tables.
4. Set Up Authentication: Choose "Email" as the login method for user authentication.
5. Add Restaurant Data: In the "Restaurants" table, create columns for "Restaurant Name", "Description", "Image", and "Address". Populate the table with sample restaurant data, including images and addresses.

Integrating with React Studio

1. Open React Studio: Launch React Studio and create a new project.
2. Connect to Xano: Click the "Connect to Xano" button in the Data tab, log in with your Xano credentials, select your Xano instance and workspace, and choose the "Restaurants" table to import into React Studio.
3. Create a Restaurant Component: Drag a new component onto the canvas, name it "Restaurants", and design the layout for displaying a single restaurant (e.g., image, name, and description).
4. Link Data to the Component: Connect the component properties to the corresponding fields in the "Restaurants" table (image, name, and description).
5. Display a List of Restaurants: Add a List Grid View component to the canvas, set the data source to the "Restaurants" table, and assign the "Restaurants" component as the nested component to display the restaurant details.

Creating a Restaurant Details Page

1. Add a Data Slot: In the Data tab, create a new data slot called "Select Details" to act as a dynamic variable for the record ID.
2. Create a Restaurant Details Sheet: Add a new sheet called "Restaurant Details" and set the API endpoint to `/Restaurants/{Select Details}` to retrieve the record based on the selected ID.
3. Design the Details Page: Drag a new responsive screen onto the canvas and design the layout for the restaurant details page, including the image, name, description, and address.
4. Link Data to the Details Page: Connect the component properties to the corresponding fields in the "Restaurant Details" sheet.
5. Set Up Navigation: In the "Restaurants" component, configure the image to pass the restaurant ID to the "Select Details" data slot and navigate to the details screen when tapped.
6. Carry Properties to the Details Page: In the details screen, set the data source to carry properties from the "Restaurant Details" sheet.

Preview and Deploy

1. Preview the App: Click "Open in Web Browser" in React Studio to preview the app, where you can see a list of restaurants and navigate to the details page by clicking on a restaurant.
2. Deploy the App: Once you're satisfied with the app, you can deploy it using Xano's built-in deployment options or export the React code from React Studio for further customization and deployment.

Congratulations! You've successfully built a restaurant app using Xano's no-code backend and React Studio's visual front-end builder. This powerful combination allows you to create applications quickly, without sacrificing functionality or design.

Whether you're a no-code enthusiast, citizen developer, traditional developer, or part of a startup or small business, Xano and React Studio provide a streamlined development experience, enabling you to focus on your ideas and deliver solutions faster.