Newsletter sign-up form with success message

What are you most proud of, and what would you do differently next time?

I'm most proud of successfully setting up a full-stack project with a functional newsletter sign-up system, including a well-designed front end and a robust back end. I implemented email validation, integrated a PostgreSQL database, and created a clean user feedback flow. If I were to do it again, I’d focus on optimizing the user interface, perhaps by adding a notification for connection issues. Currently, the server runs only on my personal computer, so it’s not available 24/7.

What challenges did you encounter, and how did you overcome them?

One of the main challenges was configuring CORS settings for secure communication between the front end and the back end. Initially, I faced issues with requests being blocked, but I managed to overcome this by setting up the correct headers in my Express server and testing different configurations. Another challenge was ensuring the PostgreSQL connection was secure and reliable, especially when deploying to a live environment. Using environment variables and carefully testing the setup helped ensure a smooth connection.

What specific areas of your project would you like help with?

I would appreciate any feedback on improving the security of the back end, especially with handling sensitive information like email addresses. Additionally, I'd love insights on optimizing the front-end code to be more performant, particularly in terms of load time and responsiveness across devices. Any advice on implementing error handling in a way that provides clear, user-friendly feedback would also be valuable.