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Frontend System Design Template

Requirements​

Functional Requirements​

Functional requirements are the core features that the system must provide. They describe the interactions between the system and its users.

  • User Authentication: Users should be able to sign up, log in, and log out of the system.
  • User Profile: Users should be able to view and edit their profile information.
  • Search: Users should be able to search for products, services, or other users.
  • Product Listings: Users should be able to view a list of products or services.
  • Product Details: Users should be able to view detailed information about a specific product or service.
  • Shopping Cart: Users should be able to add items to a shopping cart and proceed to checkout.

Non-Functional Requirements​

Non-functional requirements describe the system's performance, security, and other quality attributes.

  • Performance: The system should be responsive and provide a smooth user experience.
  • Security: User data should be stored securely and protected from unauthorized access.
  • Scalability: The system should be able to handle a large number of users and products.
  • Reliability: The system should be available and reliable, with minimal downtime.
  • Usability: The system should be easy to use and navigate, with an intuitive user interface.

API Design​

API Integration​

  • Backend communication: RESTful API, GraphQL, WebSockets.
  • Third-party services: Firebase, AWS, Google Cloud, Stripe, PayPal.

Endpoints​

// Authentication
POST /api/auth/signup    // New user registration
POST /api/auth/login     // User authentication
GET  /api/auth/logout    // Session termination

// User Management
GET  /api/user/profile   // Profile retrieval
PUT  /api/user/profile   // Profile updates

// Product Operations
GET  /api/products       // Product listing
GET  /api/products/:id   // Product details

// Shopping Cart
POST /api/cart/add       // Add to cart
POST /api/cart/checkout  // Purchase completion

Data Models and Schemas​

  • User Schema
{
  id: UUID,
  username: String,
  email: String,
  password: HashedString,
  createdAt: Timestamp,
  updatedAt: Timestamp
}
  • Product Schema
{
  id: UUID,
  name: String,
  description: Text,
  price: Decimal,
  createdAt: Timestamp,
  updatedAt: Timestamp
}
  • CartItem Schema
{
  id: UUID,
  productId: UUID,
  quantity: Integer,
  createdAt: Timestamp,
  updatedAt: Timestamp
}

Architecture​

Frontend Components​

The frontend application should be organized into the following components:

Performance Optimization​

  • Fast initial load time: app shell architecture, code splitting, lazy loading, preloading critical resources, caching, SSR.
  • Assets: minify, compress, bundle, cache, lazy load, defer, preconnect, preload, prefetch.
  • Network: reduce HTTP requests, use CDNs, optimize images, use modern image formats (WebP), caching API requests, use compression, optimize server response time.

Accessibility​

  • Semantic HTML: Use appropriate HTML elements to convey the structure and meaning of the content.
  • Keyboard Navigation: Ensure all interactive elements are accessible via keyboard navigation.
  • Focus Management: Manage focus states to ensure users can navigate the site using only the keyboard.
  • Color Contrast: Ensure there is sufficient color contrast between text and background colors.
  • Screen Reader Support: Use ARIA attributes to provide additional context for screen readers.
  • Skip Links: Provide skip links to allow users to bypass repetitive content and navigate directly to the main content.
  • Alt Text: Provide descriptive alt text for images to ensure they are accessible to users with visual impairments.
  • Form Accessibility: Use appropriate form labels, fieldsets, and legends to make forms accessible to screen readers.
  • Error Handling: Provide clear error messages and suggestions for users who encounter errors.
  • Testing: Conduct accessibility testing using tools like Lighthouse, Axe, and screen readers to identify and fix accessibility issues.

Security​

  • Authentication: Use secure authentication mechanisms like JWT, OAuth, or session cookies.
  • Authorization: Implement role-based access control to restrict access to sensitive data and functionality.
  • Input Validation: Validate and sanitize user input to prevent common security vulnerabilities like XSS and SQL injection.
  • HTTPS: Ensure all communication between the client and server is encrypted using HTTPS.
  • Content Security Policy (CSP): Implement a strict CSP to prevent cross-site scripting attacks.
  • Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF): Use CSRF tokens to protect against CSRF attacks.
  • Rate Limiting: Implement rate limiting to prevent brute force attacks and DDoS attacks.
  • Security Headers: Use security headers like X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options, and X-XSS-Protection to enhance security.
  • Data Protection: Encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit to protect user privacy.
  • Third-Party Libraries: Keep third-party libraries up to date to patch security vulnerabilities.
  • Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and fix security issues.