Build Nextjs Inventory Management Dashboard & Deploy on AWS | Postgres, Node, Tailwind, EC2, RDS, S3

Introduction

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to build a full-stack inventory management dashboard using Next.js, Redux, Node.js, and AWS. This guide will walk you through setting up your development environment, creating the application frontend and backend, and deploying it on AWS. Whether you're a beginner or looking to enhance your skills, this step-by-step guide will provide you with all the necessary insights.

Step 1: Set Up Your Development Environment

• Install Node.js: Download and install Node.js from nodejs.org.
• Install Visual Studio Code: Get the code editor from code.visualstudio.com.
• Install PostgreSQL: Download PostgreSQL from postgresql.org and follow the installation instructions.
• Install pgAdmin: Download pgAdmin from pgadmin.org.

Step 2: Initialize Your Next.js Project

• Create a new Next.js application:

  npx create-next-app inventory-management
  cd inventory-management
  

• Install required packages:

  npm install redux react-redux @reduxjs/toolkit @mui/material @mui/x-data-grid tailwindcss
  

Step 3: Set Up Tailwind CSS

• Initialize Tailwind CSS:

  npx tailwindcss init
  

• Configure tailwind.config.js: Modify the file to add paths that Tailwind should scan for class names.
• Include Tailwind in your CSS: In your main CSS file, include:

  @tailwind base;
  @tailwind components;
  @tailwind utilities;
  

Step 4: Create Application Layout

• Develop the Navbar and Sidebar: Create reusable components for the navigation menu.
• Use Material UI for Data Grids: Implement Material UI's Data Grid for handling complex data.

Step 5: Set Up Redux for State Management

• Create a Redux Store: In src/app/redux.js, define your store.
• Integrate Redux with Next.js: Use the Provider component to wrap your application.

Step 6: Data Modeling

• Define Your Database Schema: Use Prisma to set up your database model.
• Create schema.prisma: Write your data models in the Prisma schema file.
• Run migrations to create your database:

  npx prisma migrate dev --name init
  

Step 7: Set Up Local Database

• Install PostgreSQL Locally: Ensure your local PostgreSQL server is running.
• Create a Database: Use pgAdmin or command line to set up your inventory database.

Step 8: Build Backend with Node.js

• Initialize Node.js in your server directory:

  npm init -y
  

• Install Express and necessary packages:

  npm install express prisma @prisma/client
  

• Set up your API routes for handling inventory management functionality.

Step 9: Create Dashboard and Other Pages

• Develop the Dashboard Page: Create a main dashboard component to display key metrics.
• Set Up Specific Pages: Create separate pages for products, inventory, users, settings, and expenses.

Step 10: Deploy on AWS

• Create an AWS Account: Sign up at aws.amazon.com.
• Set Up AWS Services:
  • EC2: For server management.
  • RDS: For PostgreSQL database management.
  • S3: For file storage.
  • Amplify: For frontend deployment.
• Configure Networking: Ensure proper settings for security groups and VPC.

Conclusion

This tutorial covered the essential steps to build and deploy a full-stack inventory management dashboard using Next.js, Redux, and AWS. You now have a foundational understanding of how to create scalable applications and leverage cloud services. Your next steps could include enhancing your application with additional features or exploring further AWS services for optimization. Happy coding!