ReactJS Templates
Building a Blogging Platform SPA with ReactJS and Back4App

26min
1. Introduction
This tutorial will guide you through the process of building a complete Single Page Application (SPA) for a blogging platform using ReactJS as the frontend and Back4App as the backend. We will cover everything from setting up your development environment, managing global state with Redux, implementing routing and navigation, to performing CRUD operations with Back4App.
Objective:
Create a fully functional blogging platform where users can create, edit, and delete blog posts, and readers can view and comment on posts. This application will utilize ReactJS for the frontend and Back4App for backend operations.
Key Features:
User authentication
Post creation, editing, and deletion
Viewing posts and comments
Managing global state with Redux
Routing and navigation using React Router
Prerequisites:
Basic knowledge of JavaScript, ReactJS, and Redux
An active Back4App account
Node.js and npm installed on your local environment
2. Initial Setup
2.1. Setting Up the ReactJS Project
Step 1: Create a new React project using create-react-app.
Step 2: Start the development server.
2.2. Setting Up Back4App
Step 1: Sign in to your Back4App account and create a new application.
Step 2: In the Back4App dashboard, navigate to "Core > Browser" and create the following classes:
Post (to store blog posts)
Comment (to store comments on posts)
Step 3: Obtain your Application ID and JavaScript Key from the "App Settings > Security & Keys" section.
2.3. Installing Necessary Packages
Install the necessary dependencies for React, Redux, and Back4App integration.
MacOS
npm install parse @reduxjs/toolkit react-redux react-router-dom
npm install parse @reduxjs/toolkit react-redux react-router-dom
﻿
2.4. Configuring Parse SDK
Step 1: Create a file named ParseConfig.js in the src folder and configure the Parse SDK.
JS
import Parse from 'parse';

Parse.initialize("YOUR_APP_ID", "YOUR_JAVASCRIPT_KEY");
Parse.serverURL = 'https://parseapi.back4app.com/';

export default Parse;

import Parse from 'parse';

Parse.initialize("YOUR_APP_ID", "YOUR_JAVASCRIPT_KEY");
Parse.serverURL = 'https://parseapi.back4app.com/';

export default Parse;
﻿
﻿
3. Development of the Blogging Platform
3.1. Project Structure
Organize the project with the following structure:
Text
src/
|-- components/
|   |-- PostList.js
|   |-- PostDetails.js
|   |-- PostForm.js
|   |-- CommentList.js
|-- redux/
|   |-- store.js
|   |-- postSlice.js
|   |-- commentSlice.js
|-- ParseConfig.js
|-- App.js
|-- index.js
src/
|-- components/
|   |-- PostList.js
|   |-- PostDetails.js
|   |-- PostForm.js
|   |-- CommentList.js
|-- redux/
|   |-- store.js
|   |-- postSlice.js
|   |-- commentSlice.js
|-- ParseConfig.js
|-- App.js
|-- index.js
﻿
3.2. Implementing Redux for Global State Management
Step 1: Set up the Redux store in redux/store.js.
JS
import { configureStore } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';
import postReducer from './postSlice';
import commentReducer from './commentSlice';

export const store = configureStore({
  reducer: {
    posts: postReducer,
    comments: commentReducer,
  },
});

import { configureStore } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';
import postReducer from './postSlice';
import commentReducer from './commentSlice';

export const store = configureStore({
  reducer: {
    posts: postReducer,
    comments: commentReducer,
  },
});
﻿
Step 2: Create a slice for managing posts in redux/postSlice.js.
JS
import { createSlice, createAsyncThunk } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';
import Parse from '../ParseConfig';

export const fetchPosts = createAsyncThunk('posts/fetchPosts', async () => {
  const query = new Parse.Query('Post');
  const results = await query.find();
  return results.map(post => ({
    id: post.id,
    title: post.get('title'),
    content: post.get('content'),
  }));
});

const postSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'posts',
  initialState: {
    list: [],
    status: null,
  },
  reducers: {},
  extraReducers: {
    [fetchPosts.fulfilled]: (state, action) => {
      state.list = action.payload;
      state.status = 'success';
    },
  },
});

export default postSlice.reducer;

import { createSlice, createAsyncThunk } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';
import Parse from '../ParseConfig';

export const fetchPosts = createAsyncThunk('posts/fetchPosts', async () => {
  const query = new Parse.Query('Post');
  const results = await query.find();
  return results.map(post => ({
    id: post.id,
    title: post.get('title'),
    content: post.get('content'),
  }));
});

const postSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'posts',
  initialState: {
    list: [],
    status: null,
  },
  reducers: {},
  extraReducers: {
    [fetchPosts.fulfilled]: (state, action) => {
      state.list = action.payload;
      state.status = 'success';
    },
  },
});

export default postSlice.reducer;
﻿
Step 3: Create a slice for managing comments in redux/commentSlice.js.
JS
import { createSlice, createAsyncThunk } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';
import Parse from '../ParseConfig';

export const fetchComments = createAsyncThunk('comments/fetchComments', async (postId) => {
  const query = new Parse.Query('Comment');
  query.equalTo('post', { __type: 'Pointer', className: 'Post', objectId: postId });
  const results = await query.find();
  return results.map(comment => ({
    id: comment.id,
    content: comment.get('content'),
    postId: postId,
  }));
});

const commentSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'comments',
  initialState: {
    list: [],
    status: null,
  },
  reducers: {},
  extraReducers: {
    [fetchComments.fulfilled]: (state, action) => {
      state.list = action.payload;
      state.status = 'success';
    },
  },
});

export default commentSlice.reducer;

import { createSlice, createAsyncThunk } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';
import Parse from '../ParseConfig';

export const fetchComments = createAsyncThunk('comments/fetchComments', async (postId) => {
  const query = new Parse.Query('Comment');
  query.equalTo('post', { __type: 'Pointer', className: 'Post', objectId: postId });
  const results = await query.find();
  return results.map(comment => ({
    id: comment.id,
    content: comment.get('content'),
    postId: postId,
  }));
});

const commentSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'comments',
  initialState: {
    list: [],
    status: null,
  },
  reducers: {},
  extraReducers: {
    [fetchComments.fulfilled]: (state, action) => {
      state.list = action.payload;
      state.status = 'success';
    },
  },
});

export default commentSlice.reducer;
﻿
3.3. Implementing Routing with React Router
Step 1: Set up routing in App.js.
JS
import { BrowserRouter as Router, Route, Switch } from 'react-router-dom';
import PostList from './components/PostList';
import PostDetails from './components/PostDetails';
import PostForm from './components/PostForm';

function App() {
  return (
    <Router>
      <Switch>
        <Route path="/" exact component={PostList} />
        <Route path="/post/:id" component={PostDetails} />
        <Route path="/new-post" component={PostForm} />
      </Switch>
    </Router>
  );
}

export default App;

import { BrowserRouter as Router, Route, Switch } from 'react-router-dom';
import PostList from './components/PostList';
import PostDetails from './components/PostDetails';
import PostForm from './components/PostForm';

function App() {
  return (
    <Router>
      <Switch>
        <Route path="/" exact component={PostList} />
        <Route path="/post/:id" component={PostDetails} />
        <Route path="/new-post" component={PostForm} />
      </Switch>
    </Router>
  );
}

export default App;
﻿
3.4. Creating Components
Step 1: Create the PostList component to display all blog posts.
JS
import React, { useEffect } from 'react';
import { useDispatch, useSelector } from 'react-redux';
import { fetchPosts } from '../redux/postSlice';
import { Link } from 'react-router-dom';

const PostList = () => {
  const dispatch = useDispatch();
  const posts = useSelector(state => state.posts.list);

  useEffect(() => {
    dispatch(fetchPosts());
  }, [dispatch]);

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Blog Posts</h1>
      <Link to="/new-post">Create New Post</Link>
      <ul>
        {posts.map(post => (
          <li key={post.id}>
            <Link to={`/post/${post.id}`}>{post.title}</Link>
          </li>
        ))}
      </ul>
    </div>
  );
};

export default PostList;
import React, { useEffect } from 'react';
import { useDispatch, useSelector } from 'react-redux';
import { fetchPosts } from '../redux/postSlice';
import { Link } from 'react-router-dom';

const PostList = () => {
  const dispatch = useDispatch();
  const posts = useSelector(state => state.posts.list);

  useEffect(() => {
    dispatch(fetchPosts());
  }, [dispatch]);

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Blog Posts</h1>
      <Link to="/new-post">Create New Post</Link>
      <ul>
        {posts.map(post => (
          <li key={post.id}>
            <Link to={`/post/${post.id}`}>{post.title}</Link>
          </li>
        ))}
      </ul>
    </div>
  );
};

export default PostList;
﻿
Step 2: Create the PostDetails component to show the details of a specific post.
JS
import React, { useEffect } from 'react';
import { useParams } from 'react-router-dom';
import { useDispatch, useSelector } from 'react-redux';
import { fetchComments } from '../redux/commentSlice';

const PostDetails = () => {
  const { id } = useParams();
  const dispatch = useDispatch();
  const comments = useSelector(state => state.comments.list);

  useEffect(() => {
    dispatch(fetchComments(id));
  }, [dispatch, id]);

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Post Details</h1>
      <p>Comments:</p>
      <ul>
        {comments.map(comment => (
          <li key={comment.id}>{comment.content}</li>
        ))}
      </ul>
    </div>
  );
};

export default PostDetails;
import React, { useEffect } from 'react';
import { useParams } from 'react-router-dom';
import { useDispatch, useSelector } from 'react-redux';
import { fetchComments } from '../redux/commentSlice';

const PostDetails = () => {
  const { id } = useParams();
  const dispatch = useDispatch();
  const comments = useSelector(state => state.comments.list);

  useEffect(() => {
    dispatch(fetchComments(id));
  }, [dispatch, id]);

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Post Details</h1>
      <p>Comments:</p>
      <ul>
        {comments.map(comment => (
          <li key={comment.id}>{comment.content}</li>
        ))}
      </ul>
    </div>
  );
};

export default PostDetails;
﻿
Step 3: Create the PostForm component for creating and editing posts.
JS
import React, { useState } from 'react';
import Parse from '../ParseConfig';
import { useHistory } from 'react-router-dom';

const PostForm = () => {
  const [title, setTitle] = useState('');
  const [content, setContent] = useState('');
  const history = useHistory();

  const handleSubmit = async (e) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    const Post = Parse.Object.extend('Post');
    const post = new Post();
    post.set('title', title);
    post.set('content', content);

    try {
      await post.save();
      history.push('/');
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Error creating post:', error);
    }
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Create New Post</h1>
      <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
        <div>
          <label>Title</label>
          <input type="text" value={title} onChange={(e) => setTitle(e.target.value)} />
        </div>
        <div>
          <label>Content</label>
          <textarea value={content} onChange={(e) => setContent(e.target.value)} />
        </div>
        <button type="submit">Submit</button>
      </form>
    </div>
  );
};

export default PostForm;

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import Parse from '../ParseConfig';
import { useHistory } from 'react-router-dom';

const PostForm = () => {
  const [title, setTitle] = useState('');
  const [content, setContent] = useState('');
  const history = useHistory();

  const handleSubmit = async (e) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    const Post = Parse.Object.extend('Post');
    const post = new Post();
    post.set('title', title);
    post.set('content', content);

    try {
      await post.save();
      history.push('/');
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Error creating post:', error);
    }
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Create New Post</h1>
      <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
        <div>
          <label>Title</label>
          <input type="text" value={title} onChange={(e) => setTitle(e.target.value)} />
        </div>
        <div>
          <label>Content</label>
          <textarea value={content} onChange={(e) => setContent(e.target.value)} />
        </div>
        <button type="submit">Submit</button>
      </form>
    </div>
  );
};

export default PostForm;
﻿
4. Testing and Deployment
4.1. Testing the Application
Step 1: Test the application locally to ensure that all features are working:
Test creating, editing, and deleting posts.
Verify that comments are correctly displayed for each post.
Test navigation between different routes.
4.2. Building the Application for Production
Step 1: Build the application for production.
MacOS
npm run build

npm run build
﻿
Step 2: Deploy the built application to a hosting service like Back4app Containers
4.3. Configuring Back4App for Production
Back4app is already a production-ready environment  but you can give your code a look and update any necessary environment variables and keys.
5. Conclusion
Summary:This tutorial guided you through the creation of a complete blogging platform SPA using ReactJS and Back4App. You learned how to set up and configure a backend on Back4App, manage global state with Redux, implement routing with React Router, and perform CRUD operations. This platform can now be expanded with additional features such as user authentication, advanced commenting systems, and more.
Next Steps:
Explore adding user authentication with Back4App.
Enhance the commenting system with real-time updates.
Implement SEO features to improve search engine visibility.
6. Source Code and Additional Resources
GitHub Repository:Provide a link to the full source code for the application on GitHub.
Additional Resources:
﻿ReactJS Documentation﻿
﻿Redux Documentation﻿
﻿React Router Documentation﻿
﻿Back4App Documentation﻿
7. FAQ / Troubleshooting
Common Issues:
Error connecting to Back4App: Double-check your Application ID and JavaScript Key.
Redux state not updating: Ensure your actions and reducers are correctly configured.
Support:If you encounter any issues, you can reach out to Back4App support or ask questions in relevant developer communities.
Updated 08 Oct 2024
Did this page help you?
Building a Social Networking App with Flutter and Back4App
How to use Data Handling in Flutter Using List.generate with Back4app