Habits: A Modern Habit Tracking Application

#devchallenge #githubchallenge #webdev #ai

This is a submission for the GitHub Copilot Challenge: New Beginnings

What I Built

I created "Habits" a minimalist yet powerful habit tracking application that helps users build and maintain positive habits throughout the year. The application features a clean, intuitive interface that allows users to:

-Track multiple habits across a 52-week timeline
-Break down habits into actionable subtasks with progress tracking
-Celebrate completion with a delightful confetti animation
-Customize habits with different colors for visual organization
-Mark daily completions with an elegant checkbox system
-Navigate through weeks effortlessly
-Add and remove habits dynamically
-Store progress persistently using Supabase

The project uses React with TypeScript, integrating modern UI components from shadcn/ui, and features responsive design principles for a seamless experience across devices.

Demo

Repo

Check out the source code on GitHub: https://github.com/greatsage-raphael/habits

How GitHub Copilot Made It All Possible

In this project, GitHub Copilot was more than just a tool. It was like having a pair programmer with me throughout the day. Here's how Copilot made a difference:

Code Writing & Suggestions

Copilot was instrumental in accelerating development by suggesting smart, concise code snippets. Some key areas where it excelled:

Type definitions for Habit and HabitLog interfaces
State management setup with useState hooks
Database integration with Supabase
Complex UI grid layouts with Tailwind CSS

Debugging Assistance

Copilot helped identify and resolve several potential issues:

Suggested proper error handling in database operations
Helped implement proper TypeScript types
Provided solutions for state management edge cases
Assisted with component lifecycle management

Faster Development

Thanks to Copilot's suggestions, I was able to develop the website quickly and efficiently. Some notable time-savings came from:

Auto-completing repetitive UI patterns
Generating consistent styling patterns
Suggesting optimal data structures
Creating efficient database queries

Inline Suggestions ⚡

Copilot provided valuable inline suggestions for:

Error handling patterns in database operations
Consistent variable naming conventions
Type definitions and interfaces
UI component structure

Model Switching 🔄

I leveraged different AI models for specific tasks:

Code Completion: GitHub Copilot
Documentation: Claude
Debugging: GPT-4

Common Prompts Used 🎯

# Function implementation
/implement habit toggle logic
/suggest state management pattern
/optimize database queries

# UI Components
/create responsive grid layout
/implement week navigation
/design habit row component

Code Edits ✏️

Copilot helped with several important code improvements:

Refactored habit management functions
Added proper TypeScript types
Improved error handling
Enhanced component documentation
Optimized database queries

GitHub Models

The project extensively used GitHub Copilot's code completion and suggestions. The model was particularly helpful in:

Generating TypeScript interfaces
Suggesting optimal React hooks usage
Creating efficient database queries
Implementing proper error handling
Structuring components effectively

Technical Implementation

The application is built using:

Next.js with TypeScript for the frontend
Supabase for data persistence
shadcn/ui for UI components
Tailwind CSS for styling
Clerk for user authentication

Key features include:

Real-time habit tracking
Persistent storage
Responsive design
User authentication
Custom color coding for habits

Conclusion

Building New Beginnings with GitHub Copilot demonstrated the power of AI-assisted development. The tool not only accelerated the development process but also helped maintain high code quality and consistency throughout the project.

The habit tracker serves its purpose of helping users build positive habits while showcasing modern web development practices. The combination of TypeScript, React, and Supabase, aided by Copilot's suggestions, resulted in a robust and maintainable application.

Future enhancements could include:

Data visualization for habit streaks
Mobile applications
Social features for accountability
Custom reminder systems
Progress sharing capabilities

This project showcases how AI tools like GitHub Copilot can significantly enhance developer productivity while maintaining code quality and best practices.