Architecture Overview

This document provides an overview of the architecture and design principles of the Antimetal boilerplate.

Core Technologies

The Antimetal boilerplate is built on the following core technologies:

• Next.js: The React framework for production, providing server-side rendering, static site generation, and the App Router.
• React: A JavaScript library for building user interfaces.
• TypeScript: A strongly typed programming language that builds on JavaScript.
• Tailwind CSS: A utility-first CSS framework for rapidly building custom designs.
• NextAuth.js: A complete authentication solution for Next.js applications.

Project Structure

The project follows a modular structure to keep the codebase organized and maintainable:

antimetal/
├── public/            # Static assets
├── src/
│   ├── app/           # App router pages and layouts
│   │   ├── (auth)/    # Authentication-related pages (login, register)
│   │   ├── (site)/    # Main site pages
│   │   ├── api/       # API routes
│   │   └── dashboard/ # Dashboard pages (protected)
│   ├── components/    # Reusable components
│   │   ├── auth/      # Authentication components
│   │   ├── navigation/# Navigation components
│   │   └── ui/        # UI components
│   ├── lib/           # Utility functions and libraries
│   └── styles/        # Global styles

App Router Structure

The Antimetal boilerplate uses Next.js App Router, which provides a file-system based router built on top of Server Components. The structure is as follows:

• Route Groups: Folders with names in parentheses like (auth) and (site) are route groups. They don't affect the URL path but help organize the code.
• Layouts: Each section can have its own layout defined in a layout.tsx file.
• Pages: Each route has a page.tsx file that defines the main content of the page.
• Loading States: Optional loading.tsx files define loading UI for the route.
• Error Handling: Optional error.tsx files define error UI for the route.

Component Architecture

Components are organized into several categories:

• UI Components: Basic building blocks like buttons, inputs, and cards.
• Navigation Components: Components related to site navigation, like the navbar and mobile menu.
• Auth Components: Components related to authentication, like login and registration forms.
• Feature Components: Components specific to certain features or pages.

Authentication Flow

The authentication system is built with NextAuth.js and follows these principles:

1. Server-Side Authentication: Authentication state is primarily managed on the server.
2. Protected Routes: Certain routes (like /dashboard) are protected and require authentication.
3. Multiple Providers: Support for multiple authentication providers (email/password, OAuth).
4. Session Management: User sessions are managed securely with cookies.

Styling Approach

The styling approach uses Tailwind CSS with some additional patterns:

1. Utility-First: Most styling is done with utility classes directly in the JSX.
2. Component Classes: For complex components, we use the cn() utility to combine classes.
3. Global Styles: Minimal global styles defined in globals.css.
4. Responsive Design: Mobile-first approach with responsive breakpoints.

State Management

State management follows these principles:

1. Local State: React's useState and useReducer for component-level state.
2. Server State: Server Components for data that can be fetched on the server.
3. Form State: Form state is managed with controlled components or form libraries.
4. Global State: Minimal global state, primarily for authentication status.

API Structure

The API follows a RESTful structure:

1. Route Handlers: API endpoints are defined in the app/api directory.
2. Authentication: Protected endpoints check for valid sessions.
3. Error Handling: Consistent error response format.
4. Data Validation: Input validation for all API requests.

Performance Considerations

The boilerplate is designed with performance in mind:

1. Server Components: Using React Server Components to reduce client-side JavaScript.
2. Code Splitting: Automatic code splitting based on routes.
3. Image Optimization: Using Next.js Image component for optimized images.
4. Font Optimization: Using Next.js Font system for optimized font loading.
5. Minimal Dependencies: Keeping external dependencies to a minimum.

Security Considerations

Security is a priority in the boilerplate:

1. Authentication: Secure authentication with NextAuth.js.
2. CSRF Protection: Protection against Cross-Site Request Forgery.
3. Content Security Policy: Strict Content Security Policy headers.
4. Input Validation: Validation of all user inputs.
5. Dependency Scanning: Regular scanning for vulnerable dependencies.