Building SaaS Website #0: A Beginner's Guide to Total.js Development

Welcome to this comprehensive blog series, where we’ll take a step-by-step journey to create TotalGPT, a Total.js-based project that simulates a WhatsApp or Telegram AI assistant website. Whether you're completely new to Total.js or an intermediate developer looking to deepen your understanding, this series is designed to guide you through the entire development process—from setting up a project to implementing advanced features in the admin panel.

Our goal is simple: By the end of this series, you’ll have a fully functional website and admin panel, along with the knowledge and confidence to apply Total.js to your own projects. We'll cover essential topics, starting with the basics and gradually progressing to more complex features.

What Is TotalGPT?

TotalGPT is a Total.js-powered AI assistant platform, imagined as an interactive service accessible via WhatsApp or Telegram. For this series, our focus will be on building the front-facing landing page for TotalGPT and a back-end admin panel that manages the platform. These two components will form the backbone of the project, showcasing key Total.js capabilities in a practical, hands-on way.

What You’ll Achieve

Through this series, you’ll:

1. Build a Landing Page Website: Learn how to create web pages, integrate dynamic content, and provide seamless user experiences.
2. Develop an Admin Panel: Gain hands-on experience building a modern Single Page Application (SPA) with Total.js JComponent, complete with REST APIs, file handling, and custom plugins.
3. Master Total.js Fundamentals: Start with the basics and gradually uncover the advanced features that make Total.js a versatile framework.

By the end of this journey, you’ll have built a fully functional project and developed the skills to confidently use Total.js for any web application.

Skills You’ll Learn

Throughout this series, we’ll cover a wide range of skills, including:

• Installation and Setup: Properly configuring Total.js for project development.
• View Engine: Leveraging the Total.js view engine to create dynamic, server-rendered pages.
• Static Files: Managing CSS, JavaScript, and media assets.
• Database Integration: Using PostgreSQL and Total.js QueryBuilderPG for powerful and efficient database operations.
• Localization: Implementing multi-language support for a global audience.
• Validation and Schemas: Ensuring data integrity with schemas and validation.
• Payment Gateway Integration: Adding payment workflows and handling success or failure redirections.
• REST API Development: Building secure and scalable APIs for admin panel functionalities.
• Single Page Applications (SPA): Developing SPAs using JComponent for a seamless user experience.
• Custom Plugins: Extending Total.js capabilities by developing reusable plugins for various features.

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Tools You’ll Need

Before diving in, let’s ensure you have everything you need to follow along:

1. Node.js: Total.js runs on Node.js, so make sure you have the latest version installed on your system.
2. PostgreSQL: A robust and scalable relational database that we’ll integrate into the project.
3. Code Editor: Visual Studio Code is highly recommended for its wide range of extensions and ease of use.
4. Basic Web Development Knowledge: Familiarity with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and basic database concepts will be helpful, but we’ll ensure to explain everything clearly for beginners.

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Roadmap: What We’ll Learn by Doing

Landing Page Website

1. Installation: Setting up Total.js and initializing the project.
2. Website Pages:
   • Home
   • About
   • Services
   • Pricing
   • Pricing Detail
   • Contact
   • Unknown Error Page
   • Payment Success and Failed Redirect Pages
   • Terms and Conditions Page
1. Total.js View Engine: Creating reusable layouts and dynamic pages with ease.
2. Static Files: Managing CSS, JavaScript, images, and other assets.
3. Database Integration: Using PostgreSQL with QueryBuilderPG for smooth data operations.
4. Localization: Making the website accessible in multiple languages.
5. Schemas and Validation: Ensuring form data integrity and user input validation.
6. Payment Method Integration: Setting up payment workflows for seamless transactions.

Admin Panel

1. REST API Creation: Building secure and efficient APIs to power the admin functionalities.
2. Authorization Mechanism: Implementing a login system for admin users.
3. Schemas and Workflows: Structuring and automating data operations.
4. JComponent Basics:
   • Paths
   • Data Binding
   • Routing
   • Plugins
   • UI Pages
1. JComponent SPA Integration: Building a modern Single Page Application.
2. Web Components (Componentator): Learning the basics of creating reusable components.
3. File Handling: Uploading and downloading files effectively.
4. Data Memorization: Implementing persistent data storage.
5. Custom Plugin Development:
   • Admin
   • Contact
   • Dashboard
   • Files
   • Plans
   • Settings

What to Expect

Each blog post in this series will focus on one or more steps outlined in the roadmap. We’ll break down complex topics into smaller, manageable sections, ensuring you understand the concepts and how they apply to Total.js development.

By the end of this series, you’ll not only have created TotalGPT but also gained a deep understanding of Total.js and its ecosystem, empowering you to take on your own ambitious web development projects.

Are you ready to begin your journey into Total.js development? Let’s dive in and start building TotalGPT together! 🚀