Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Tracker
Overview
This is (going to be) a very simple application that uses an Animal Crossing API to bring a wide variety of data to life!
Purpose
Primarily for learning purposes, I hope to reinforce my knowledge of React, TypeScript, and CSS on the frontend of the project. On the backend, I'm hoping to strengthen my abilities with Node, Express, and Postgres (which I am currently learning from square one).
Along the way, I am going to try to stick to what I have gathered to be some of the best practices in regards to developing React applications. This includes folder structure, use of Redux or Redux Toolkit for state management, the use of TypeScript, etc. I will also attempt to incorporate Storybook, as well as test-driven development through the use of React Testing Library. Finally, I will try to code in a way that facilitates using Git workflows I am inexperienced with, like creating new branches, merging, and possibly even sending and approving pull requests (perhaps with an alternate Github account).
For a stretch-goal, I may even attempt to turn the site into an Android / iOS app with React Native -- which I am a few week deep into learning!
Why This App?
I loved playing Animal Crossing growing up! But one of the biggest driving factors into this app idea was the fact that I wanted a portfolio project that showcased working with outside APIs. Animal Crossing just so happens to have a free, public API that provides a wealth of information. This information also seems very visual-oriented, which I believe will provide ample opportunity to practice my CSS work, as well as add some elements of fun and interactivity along the way.