The scope felt manageable until I started thinking about all the moving pieces at once.
Start by clarifying requirements and scope, then walk through the system layer by layer: data model, API contract, backend implementation, frontend UI, and finally validation, error handling, and documentation. Emphasize trade-offs and decisions at each step, and finish with a brief demo or summary of how the pieces fit together.
Pro tip: Treat this as a real project: define the API contract and data model first, then implement backend and frontend in parallel using a tool like OpenAPI or a shared TypeScript interface to keep them in sync. Also, include a simple but effective error handling strategy (e.g., consistent error response format) and mention how you would test the system end-to-end.
Ask clarifying questions about expected scale, authentication, comment threading, and deployment environment to bound the problem. State your assumptions explicitly.
Define the database schema (e.g., comments table with id, author, content, timestamp, parent_id for threading) and specify RESTful endpoints with request/response formats, status codes, and validation rules.
Choose a tech stack (e.g., Node.js/Express + PostgreSQL) and implement CRUD operations with input validation, error handling, and database migrations. Ensure the API adheres to the contract.
Create a simple UI to list comments, post new comments, and handle loading/error states. Use a framework like React and connect to the API, ensuring optimistic updates or proper state management.
Write a README with setup instructions, design decisions, and API documentation. Include tests (unit, integration) and manually verify the full flow from UI to database.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.