How to rebuild UI with React using Next.js, Prisma, and Replay AI.

TL;DR: Learn how to rebuild UI components from screen recordings using Replay AI, Next.js, Prisma, and Supabase for a streamlined development workflow.

Rebuilding user interfaces from scratch can be a tedious and time-consuming process. Manually inspecting designs, reverse-engineering interactions, and writing code from the ground up often leads to inconsistencies and delays. But what if you could simply record a video of the desired UI and have it automatically transformed into functional code? That's the power of Replay. In this guide, we'll explore how to rebuild UI with React using Next.js, Prisma, and Replay, leveraging its unique behavior-driven reconstruction capabilities.

Understanding Behavior-Driven Reconstruction#

Traditional screenshot-to-code tools focus solely on the visual aspects of a UI. They analyze static images and attempt to generate corresponding code. However, they lack the understanding of user intent and the underlying logic that drives the UI's behavior. This is where Replay shines.

Replay utilizes a revolutionary "Behavior-Driven Reconstruction" approach. Instead of relying on static images, Replay analyzes video recordings of user interactions. This allows it to understand not just what the UI looks like, but also how it behaves, what data it interacts with, and the user's intended flow. This deeper understanding enables Replay to generate more accurate, functional, and maintainable code.

Setting Up Your Development Environment#

Before we dive into using Replay, let's set up our development environment with Next.js, Prisma, and Supabase.

Step 1: Create a Next.js Project#

Create a new Next.js project using the following command:

bash
npx create-next-app rebuild-ui-with-replay
cd rebuild-ui-with-replay

Step 2: Initialize Prisma#

Install Prisma CLI as a dev dependency:

bash
npm install prisma --save-dev

Initialize Prisma in your project:

bash
npx prisma init --datasource-provider postgresql

💡 Pro Tip: Ensure you have a PostgreSQL database instance running locally or in the cloud. Update the

text

DATABASE_URL

in your

text

.env

file with your database connection string.

Step 3: Define Your Prisma Schema#

Define your data models in the

file. For example, let's create a simple model:

prisma
// prisma/schema.prisma
generator client {
  provider = "prisma-client-js"
}

datasource db {
  provider = "postgresql"
  url      = env("DATABASE_URL")
}

model User {
  id    Int     @id @default(autoincrement())
  email String  @unique
  name  String?
}

Step 4: Generate Prisma Client#

Generate the Prisma Client to interact with your database:

bash
npx prisma generate

Step 5: Install Supabase Client (Optional)#

If you plan to leverage Replay's Supabase integration, install the Supabase client:

bash
npm install @supabase/supabase-js

📝 Note: Ensure you have a Supabase project set up and configured. You'll need your Supabase URL and API key.

Rebuilding UI with Replay: A Practical Example#

Let's imagine we have a video recording of a user interacting with a simple to-do list application. The user adds new tasks, marks them as complete, and deletes them. We want to rebuild this UI using Replay.

Step 1: Record Your UI Interaction#

Record a clear and concise video of the user interacting with the to-do list application. Ensure the video captures all relevant UI elements and interactions.

Step 2: Upload the Video to Replay#

Upload the video recording to the Replay platform. Replay will analyze the video and generate a corresponding React codebase.

Step 3: Review and Refine the Generated Code#

Replay will generate a Next.js project with React components, data models (leveraging Prisma), and API endpoints (potentially integrated with Supabase). Review the generated code to ensure accuracy and completeness.

Here's an example of a React component that Replay might generate:

typescript
// components/TodoItem.tsx
import { useState } from 'react';

interface TodoItemProps {
  id: number;
  text: string;
  completed: boolean;
  onToggle: (id: number) => void;
  onDelete: (id: number) => void;
}

const TodoItem: React.FC<TodoItemProps> = ({ id, text, completed, onToggle, onDelete }) => {
  const [isChecked, setIsChecked] = useState(completed);

  const handleToggle = () => {
    setIsChecked(!isChecked);
    onToggle(id);
  };

  return (
    <li>
      <input
        type="checkbox"
        checked={isChecked}
        onChange={handleToggle}
      />
      <span style={{ textDecoration: isChecked ? 'line-through' : 'none' }}>
        {text}
      </span>
      <button onClick={() => onDelete(id)}>Delete</button>
    </li>
  );
};

export default TodoItem;

This component represents a single to-do item in the list. It includes a checkbox for marking the task as complete and a delete button for removing the task. The component also demonstrates state management using

and event handling for user interactions.

Step 4: Integrate with Prisma and Supabase (if applicable)#

Replay can automatically generate Prisma models and API endpoints based on the data interactions observed in the video. It can also integrate with Supabase to provide real-time data synchronization and authentication.

For example, Replay might generate the following API endpoint to fetch to-do items from the database using Prisma:

typescript
// pages/api/todos.ts
import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client';
import type { NextApiRequest, NextApiResponse } from 'next';

const prisma = new PrismaClient();

export default async function handler(req: NextApiRequest, res: NextApiResponse) {
  if (req.method === 'GET') {
    try {
      const todos = await prisma.todo.findMany();
      res.status(200).json(todos);
    } catch (error) {
      console.error(error);
      res.status(500).json({ error: 'Failed to fetch todos' });
    } finally {
      await prisma.$disconnect();
    }
  } else {
    res.status(405).json({ error: 'Method Not Allowed' });
  }
}

This API endpoint uses the Prisma Client to fetch all to-do items from the database and returns them as a JSON response.

Step 5: Customize and Enhance the UI#

Once you have the initial codebase generated by Replay, you can customize and enhance the UI to meet your specific requirements. Add new features, refine the styling, and optimize the performance.

⚠️ Warning: While Replay significantly accelerates the development process, it's crucial to thoroughly review and test the generated code. Address any potential issues and ensure the UI functions as expected.

Replay's Key Advantages#

• •Speed: Replay drastically reduces the time required to rebuild UIs.
• •Accuracy: Behavior-driven reconstruction ensures higher accuracy and functional completeness.
• •Data Integration: Seamless integration with Prisma and Supabase simplifies data management.
• •Maintainability: Generates clean and well-structured code that is easy to maintain.
• •Multi-Page Generation: Replay can handle complex, multi-page applications.
• •Style Injection: Apply custom styles to the generated UI.
• •Product Flow Maps: Visualize the user flow captured in the video.

Addressing Common Concerns#

"Is the generated code production-ready?"

Replay generates a solid foundation for your UI, but it's essential to review and refine the code to ensure it meets your specific requirements and coding standards. Think of Replay as a powerful assistant that significantly accelerates the development process, not a complete replacement for human developers.

"How does Replay handle complex interactions?"

Replay's behavior-driven reconstruction is designed to handle complex interactions. By analyzing video recordings, Replay can understand the underlying logic and generate corresponding code. However, for extremely complex scenarios, some manual adjustments may be required.

"What if the video quality is poor?"

The quality of the video recording can impact the accuracy of the generated code. Ensure the video is clear, well-lit, and captures all relevant UI elements and interactions.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers different pricing plans, including a free tier with limited features. Paid plans provide access to more advanced features and higher usage limits. Check the Replay website for the most up-to-date pricing information.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

While both tools aim to accelerate UI development, Replay distinguishes itself through its video-to-code engine and behavior-driven reconstruction. V0.dev primarily relies on AI-powered code generation from prompts, whereas Replay leverages video analysis to understand user intent and generate more accurate and functional code. Replay focuses on recreating existing UIs from recordings, while v0.dev is geared towards generating new UIs from textual descriptions.

What frameworks and libraries does Replay support?#

Replay currently supports React and Next.js. Support for other frameworks and libraries is planned for future releases.

---

Ready to try behavior-driven code generation? Get started with Replay - transform any video into working code in seconds.