weather-app using API, css, bootstrap, js, nodecache and axios

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

This is my first time creating a weather app! with a features live search suggestions as you type, responsive weather icons that dynamically change based on the weather code, and server-side caching using node-cache to reduce redundant external API requests when users search for the same city. I'm excited to keep learning and pushing my coding skills further

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

The first major challenge I faced was figuring out how to efficiently request and process third-party weather data via an API. Additionally, I had to ensure that if a user spammed the search button, the application wouldn't overload the external service with redundant requests—which I successfully solved by integrating node-cache server-side.

During deployment, I also ran into environment-specific bugs regarding static folder routing and relative API paths on production. I overcame these hurdles by systematically debugging my directory structure and leveraging AI tools to help isolate, understand, and fix the errors efficiently.

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

I would love feedback on how I handled the server-side architecture and project directory structure, specifically regarding the integration of Express static middleware and node-cache. Additionally, if there are any best practices for optimizing client-side asynchronous fetch operations or cleaner ways to handle API fallback defaults in JavaScript, I would appreciate any insights or suggestions!