A personal full-stack learning project for managing user credentials, built using the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js). The application provides basic functionality for adding, viewing, and managing credentials, with a focus on experimenting with React UI and REST APIs.
This was my attempt to create a credentials management web app. The original idea was to allow users to:
- Add website credentials (e.g., site name, username, password)
- View all saved credentials
- Delete specific entries
Each feature was built with its own standalone React app, connected to a common Node.js + Express backend.
- Frontend: Multiple React.js apps
- Backend: Express.js + Node.js
- Database: MongoDB
When I started building this, I was still learning full-stack development.
I made the decision to build separate React apps for each page (login, signup, main and landing(introduction)) — thinking that was the way to organize the UI. It wasn’t. I realized later that a single-page React app with routing would’ve been the correct and scalable approach.
This project was a learning milestone, not a production-ready app.
I stopped developing it further because I understood that the architecture wasn’t sustainable. But it taught me:
- How to connect React to Express
- How REST APIs work
- How to design simple forms and work with MongoDB
- Why application structure matters
Once I realized the architectural flaw (multiple isolated React apps for one project), I decided to pause and rethink the project entirely.
Rather than refactoring everything at once, I moved on to new projects using what I learned — this was a stepping stone, not a dead end.
- Structuring React apps using components and routes
- Using
fetchto interact with APIs - Designing a RESTful API in Express
- Managing simple MongoDB schemas
- Importance of planning the app architecture before coding
If you’re early in your full-stack journey and make similar “mistakes” — that’s okay. It’s normal. Every project teaches you something. Just keep building, keep breaking, and keep learning.
Made by Hemant Singh while learning — and still learning.