Build a Basic Web Application

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Introduction
Create Web App
Build Serverless Function
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Link Serverless Function to Web App
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Add interactivity to Web App
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Clean up Resources

Task 1: Create a Web App

In this task, you will create a React application and deploy it to the Cloud using AWS Amplify.

Overview

AWS Amplify offers a Git-based CI/CD workflow for building, deploying, and hosting single-page web applications or static sites with backends. When connected to a Git repository, Amplify determines the build settings for both the frontend framework and any configured backend resources, and automatically deploys updates with every code commit.

In this task, you will start by creating a new React application and pushing it to a GitHub repository. You will then connect the repository to AWS Amplify web hosting and deploy it to a globally available content delivery network (CDN) hosted on an amplifyapp.com domain. 

Key concepts

React Application: React is a JavaScript library that enables developers to quickly build performant single-page applications.

Git: Git is a version control system that allows developers to store files, maintain and update relationships between files and directories, and track versions and changes to the files.

Implementation

 Minimum time to complete

5 minutes

 Services used

AWS Amplify

 Requires

 Get help

Troubleshooting Amplify

How Amplify works

    1. In a new terminal or command line window, run the following command to use Vite to create a React application:
    npm create vite@latest profilesapp -- --template react
cd profilesapp
npm install
npm run dev

    2. In the terminal window, select and open the Local link to view the Vite + React application.

  • In this step, you will create a GitHub repository and commit your code to the repository. You will need a GitHub account to complete this step, if you do not have an account, sign up here.

    Note: If you have never used GitHub on your computer, follow these steps before continuing to allow connection to your account.

    1. Sign in to GitHub at https://github.com/.

    2. In the Start a new repository section, make the following selections:

    • For Repository name, enter profilesapp, and choose the Public radio button.
    • Then select, Create a new repository.

    3. Open a new terminal window, navigate to your projects root folder (profilesapp), and run the following commands to initialize a git and push of the application to the new GitHub repo:

    Note: Replace the SSH GitHub URL in the command with your GitHub URL.  

    git init
git add .
git commit -m "first commit"
git remote add origin git@github.com:<your-username>/profilesapp.git 
git branch -M main

git push -u origin main
    1. Open a new terminal window, navigate to your app's root folder (profilesapp), and run the following command:
    npm create amplify@latest -y

    2. Running the previous command will scaffold a lightweight Amplify project in the app’s directory. 

    3. In your terminal window, run the following command to push the changes to GitHub: 

    git add .
git commit -m 'installing amplify'
git push origin main

  • In this step, you will connect the GitHub repository you just created to AWS Amplify. This will enable you to build and deploy your app on AWS.

    1. Sign in to the AWS Management console in a new browser window, and open the AWS Amplify console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/amplify/apps.

    2. Choose Create new app. 

    3. On the Start building with Amplify page, for Deploy your app, select GitHub, and select Next.

    4. When prompted, authenticate with GitHub. You will be automatically redirected back to the Amplify console. Choose the repository and main branch you created earlier. Then select Next.

    5. Leave the default build settings, and select Next.

    6. Review the inputs selected, and choose Save and deploy.

    AWS Amplify will now build your source code and deploy your app at https://...amplifyapp.com, and on every git push your deployment instance will update. It may take up to 5 minutes
    to deploy your app.

    7. Once the build completes, select the Visit deployed URL button to see your web app up and running live. 

Conclusion

You have deployed a React application in the AWS Cloud by integrating with GitHub and using AWS Amplify. With AWS Amplify, you can continuously deploy your application in the Cloud and host it on a globally available CDN.

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Build a Serverless Function