My Biggest Tutorial Ever (Build A FULL Google Drive Clone with React, Next, TypeScript and more)

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will walk through the process of building a full Google Drive clone using React, Next.js, TypeScript, and other technologies. This comprehensive guide will cover everything from the initial setup to deployment and analytics integration, providing you with the knowledge to create a fully functional file storage application.

Step 1: Initialize Your Project

1. Set up a new Next.js project with TypeScript:

   npx create-next-app@latest my-google-drive-clone --ts
   cd my-google-drive-clone
   

2. Install necessary dependencies:

   npm install react react-dom next typescript
   

Step 2: UI Scaffolding

Create the basic UI structure

• Use the provided UI starter template from this link.
• Set up your components directory to organize your UI components effectively.

Design the main components

• Create components for file listing, upload buttons, and navigation.

Step 3: Set Up Continuous Integration and Deployment

Create a CI configuration file

• Use the provided CI file from the GitHub repository:

# .github/workflows/ci.yaml
name: CI
on: [push]
jobs
  build
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps
    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
    - name: Build
      run: npm install && npm run build

1. Push your code to GitHub to trigger the CI pipeline.

Step 4: Set Up the Database with SingleStore

Follow the SingleStore tutorial to set up your database

• Refer to this guide.

Create your database schemas and tables for file storage

• Define a structure that supports file metadata, user information, and access permissions.

Step 5: Connect the UI to the Database

Use API routes in Next.js to handle data fetching

• Create API endpoints for file uploads and retrieval.
1. Use the Fetch API or Axios to connect your frontend components with the backend:

   const response = await fetch('/api/files');
   const files = await response.json();
   

Step 6: Implement Breadcrumb Navigation

Fix breadcrumb navigation for better user experience

• Ensure users can easily navigate back to previous folders or the home page.

Step 7: Clean Up the Data Layer

Refactor the data handling logic

• Ensure code is modular and maintainable.
• Use hooks for managing state and side effects.

Step 8: Implement Authentication with Clerk

Set up Clerk for user authentication

• Follow the documentation provided by Clerk to integrate authentication into your app.
1. Protect routes that require user login.

Step 9: Enable File Uploads with UploadThing

Integrate UploadThing for file uploads

• Set up the backend to handle file uploads and store file metadata in the database.

const formData = new FormData();
formData.append('file', selectedFile);
await fetch('/api/upload', {
  method: 'POST',
  body: formData,
});

Step 10: Model Files in the Database

Create models that reflect the file structures

• Use ORM or schema definitions to ensure data integrity and relationships.

Step 11: Integrate Analytics with PostHog

Set up PostHog for tracking user interactions

• Integrate PostHog into your application by following their setup guide.

Step 12: General Tidying Up

Review your code for best practices

• Clean up unused imports, comments, and console logs.
• Optimize performance by checking build sizes and loading times.

Step 13: Create Home Page and Onboarding Flows

Design an engaging home page

• Include onboarding flows to guide new users through the application features.

Step 14: Assign Homework

Challenge yourself

• Add additional features like sharing files or creating collaborative folders.

Conclusion

You have now built a complete Google Drive clone using modern web technologies. With this tutorial, you should have a solid understanding of how to structure a complex application, integrate various services, and deploy your project. Consider exploring additional features to enhance your application and improve your development skills.