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Not every project in coding starts with a grand vision. Sometimes, the most useful tools are born out of pure necessity.
The Unexpected Challenge
I was deep into developing a mocktail recipe website, fine-tuning backends, and enjoying the creativity behind it (not so fun at times, but still fulfilling). After all, what is fun when life can be boring? Then reality hit — how do I track and bill for all this work?
Traditional invoicing tools felt like overkill. Spreadsheets? A nightmare. Existing platforms? Complicated. I needed something simple, something mine.
Building a Lightweight Invoice API
My solution? A bare-bones TypeScript API that does exactly what I need:
interface Invoice {
id: string;
clientName: string;
items: WorkItem[];
total: number;
status: 'draft' | 'sent' | 'paid';
}
interface WorkItem {
description: string;
hours: number;
rate: number;
}
Key Learnings
router.post('/invoices', (req, res) => {
const invoice = {
id: generateUniqueId(),
...req.body,
total: calculateTotal(req.body.items),
status: 'draft'
};
saveInvoice(invoice);
res.status(201).json(invoice);
});
Who Should Build This?
This isn't just about invoices. It's about building tools that solve real problems, learning in the process, and creating something genuinely useful.
Pro Tip: Your most valuable projects often start with a personal itch to solve something.
Happy coding, and may your invoices be as clean as your code! ?
The Unexpected Challenge
I was deep into developing a mocktail recipe website, fine-tuning backends, and enjoying the creativity behind it (not so fun at times, but still fulfilling). After all, what is fun when life can be boring? Then reality hit — how do I track and bill for all this work?
Traditional invoicing tools felt like overkill. Spreadsheets? A nightmare. Existing platforms? Complicated. I needed something simple, something mine.
Building a Lightweight Invoice API
My solution? A bare-bones TypeScript API that does exactly what I need:
interface Invoice {
id: string;
clientName: string;
items: WorkItem[];
total: number;
status: 'draft' | 'sent' | 'paid';
}
interface WorkItem {
description: string;
hours: number;
rate: number;
}
Key Learnings
- Simplicity is Power: Complex doesn't mean better.
- TypeScript Brings Structure: Catch errors before they happen.
- Solve Your Own Problem First: The best projects start with personal pain points.
router.post('/invoices', (req, res) => {
const invoice = {
id: generateUniqueId(),
...req.body,
total: calculateTotal(req.body.items),
status: 'draft'
};
saveInvoice(invoice);
res.status(201).json(invoice);
});
Who Should Build This?
- Freelancers tired of invoice chaos.
- Developers looking for a practical project.
- Anyone wanting to understand API design.
This isn't just about invoices. It's about building tools that solve real problems, learning in the process, and creating something genuinely useful.
Pro Tip: Your most valuable projects often start with a personal itch to solve something.
Happy coding, and may your invoices be as clean as your code! ?