I’m proud of creating a clean, responsive time tracking dashboard that effectively uses Tailwind CSS for styling and JavaScript for dynamic functionality.
Next time I would love to; Dynamic Data: Instead of hardcoding time data (e.g., “32hrs” for Work’s Weekly view) in the HTML, I’d fetch data from a JSON file or API to make the dashboard more maintainable and scalable. This would allow easier updates to time values without editing the HTML.
What challenges did you encounter, and how did you overcome them?Challenge: Ensuring JavaScript Toggle Functionality Was Efficient Description: The JavaScript needed to toggle the visibility of time-data divs (Daily, Weekly, Monthly) for all six activities (Work, Play, Study, etc.) and update button styles (e.g., text-white for active, text-nuetral-purple-500 for inactive) without redundant code or performance issues.
How I Overcame It: Single Function: I wrote a reusable showTimeframe function to handle both data toggling and button styling:
javascript
function showTimeframe(timeframe) {
timeDataElements.forEach(data => {
data.classList.toggle('hidden', data.dataset.timeframe !== timeframe);
});
buttons.forEach(btn => {
btn.classList.toggle('text-white', btn.id === `${timeframe}-btn`);
btn.classList.toggle('text-nuetral-purple-500', btn.id !== `${timeframe}-btn`);
});
}
This used dataset.timeframe to match divs with the selected timeframe and minimized DOM manipulations.
Challenge: Maintaining Responsive Design Consistency Description: The dashboard needed to look good on both mobile (max-w-sm) and desktop (lg:max-w-5xl lg:grid-cols-3) layouts, especially with the left-aligned buttons and activity cards’ overlapping design (e.g., icons like icon-work.svg in rounded-b-3xl headers). Tailwind’s responsive classes were complex to balance.
How I Overcame It: Tailwind’s Mobile-First Approach: I leveraged Tailwind’s responsive prefixes (e.g., lg:flex-col, lg:text-5xl) to ensure the layout adapted correctly. For example, the buttons’ w-full class ensured they stacked neatly in the vertical lg:flex-col layout.
Icon Positioning: The activity card icons (e.g., <img src="./images/icon-work.svg">) used classes like ml-55 lg:ml-40 -mt-2.5 lg:-mt-3 for positioning. I tested these on different screen sizes to ensure they stayed aligned within the colored headers (bg-primary-orange-300-work).
What specific areas of your project would you like help with?Dynamic Data Integration: I’d appreciate feedback on the best way to integrate a JSON file or API for the time data. For example, how would you structure a JSON file for the activities (Work, Play, etc.) with Daily, Weekly, and Monthly values, and what’s the most efficient way to fetch and render it in this dashboard?
Advanced Tailwind Configuration: While I used Tailwind’s inline classes, I’m curious about best practices for organizing custom styles in output.css or a Tailwind config file, especially for a project with multiple color variants (e.g., primary-orange-300-work, primary-blue-300-play). How can I streamline this for larger projects?
Performance Optimization: The dashboard is lightweight, but if I were to add animations or fetch data dynamically, what tools or techniques (e.g., lazy loading, debouncing) should I use to ensure smooth performance, especially on lower-end devices?
Accessibility: I’d like guidance on implementing ARIA roles and ensuring keyboard navigation for the timeframe buttons. For instance, how can I make the active button state (e.g., text-white) clear to screen readers, and what’s the best way to test this?
