How to Recreate a Complete React Dashboard from a Video Recording with Replay: A Step-by-Step Guide

TL;DR: Recreate a fully functional React dashboard from a video recording using Replay's behavior-driven reconstruction, complete with Supabase integration and style injection.

The dream of generating code from visual input is finally a reality, but existing screenshot-to-code tools often fall short. They capture the visual layout but fail to understand the intent behind the user's actions. This is where Replay shines. By analyzing video recordings, Replay's engine, powered by Gemini, reconstructs working UI based on observed behavior, not just static images.

This article guides you through recreating a complete React dashboard from a video recording using Replay. We'll explore how Replay leverages behavior-driven reconstruction, integrates with Supabase for backend functionality, and allows style injection for customization.

Understanding Behavior-Driven Reconstruction#

Traditional screenshot-to-code tools focus on pixel-perfect replication. While visually accurate, they lack understanding of user interactions and underlying data flow. Replay takes a different approach:

1. •Video as Source of Truth: Replay analyzes video recordings to understand user behavior, including clicks, form submissions, and navigation patterns.
2. •Intent Recognition: Replay infers the user's intent behind each action, allowing it to reconstruct the underlying logic and data dependencies.
3. •Working UI Generation: Replay generates functional React code, complete with state management, event handlers, and data bindings.

This behavior-driven approach results in code that is not only visually similar to the original but also functionally equivalent.

Setting Up Your Environment#

Before diving into the reconstruction process, ensure you have the following:

• •Node.js and npm installed.
• •A Supabase account (free tier is sufficient).
• •A video recording of the dashboard you want to recreate.

Step 1: Install the Replay CLI (Hypothetical)#

⚠️ Warning: As Replay is a hypothetical product, this step is illustrative. In a real-world scenario, you would install the Replay CLI using npm or yarn.

bash
npm install -g replay-cli

Step 2: Authenticate with Replay#

bash
replay login

This command will prompt you to authenticate with your Replay account.

Step 3: Initialize a New React Project (if needed)#

If you don't already have a React project, create one using Create React App:

bash
npx create-react-app my-dashboard
cd my-dashboard

Reconstructing the Dashboard with Replay#

Now, let's use Replay to reconstruct the dashboard from your video recording.

Step 1: Upload the Video Recording#

Use the Replay CLI to upload your video recording:

bash
replay upload my-dashboard-recording.mp4

This command will upload the video to Replay's servers and initiate the analysis process.

Step 2: Configure Replay Settings#

After uploading, you'll be presented with options to configure the reconstruction process. This may include:

• •Target Framework: Select "React" as the target framework.
• •Supabase Integration: Provide your Supabase API URL and API key.
• •Style Injection: Choose whether to enable style injection (e.g., using Tailwind CSS or styled-components).

Step 3: Initiate Reconstruction#

Once you've configured the settings, initiate the reconstruction process. Replay will analyze the video and generate the React code.

Step 4: Review and Refine the Generated Code#

After reconstruction, Replay will provide a preview of the generated code. Review the code and make any necessary adjustments. This may involve:

• •Correcting minor errors: Replay's analysis is powerful, but it may not be perfect.
• •Adding custom logic: Replay focuses on UI reconstruction, so you may need to add custom business logic.
• •Refining styles: Adjust the generated styles to match your desired aesthetic.

Integrating with Supabase#

Replay simplifies Supabase integration by automatically generating the necessary data models and API calls based on the observed data interactions in the video.

Example: Fetching Data from Supabase#

Suppose your dashboard displays a list of users fetched from a Supabase table. Replay would generate code similar to this:

typescript
import { createClient } from '@supabase/supabase-js';
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';

const supabaseUrl = process.env.REACT_APP_SUPABASE_URL;
const supabaseKey = process.env.REACT_APP_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY;
const supabase = createClient(supabaseUrl, supabaseKey);

interface User {
  id: number;
  name: string;
  email: string;
}

const UserList = () => {
  const [users, setUsers] = useState<User[]>([]);

  useEffect(() => {
    const fetchUsers = async () => {
      const { data, error } = await supabase
        .from('users')
        .select('*');

      if (error) {
        console.error('Error fetching users:', error);
      } else {
        setUsers(data as User[]);
      }
    };

    fetchUsers();
  }, []);

  return (
    <ul>
      {users.map(user => (
        <li key={user.id}>
          {user.name} ({user.email})
        </li>
      ))}
    </ul>
  );
};

export default UserList;

This code snippet demonstrates how Replay can automatically generate the necessary Supabase client, data fetching logic, and state management to display data from your Supabase database.

Style Injection#

Replay supports style injection, allowing you to apply custom styles to the generated UI. This can be achieved using various styling solutions, such as:

• •Tailwind CSS: Replay can generate Tailwind CSS classes based on the visual elements in the video.
• •Styled-components: Replay can generate styled-components with the appropriate styles.
• •CSS Modules: Replay can generate CSS Modules with scoped styles.

The choice of styling solution depends on your project's requirements and preferences. Replay provides options to configure the style injection process during the reconstruction phase.

Product Flow Maps#

One of Replay's unique features is its ability to generate product flow maps from the video recording. These maps visualize the user's journey through the dashboard, highlighting key interactions and navigation paths. This can be invaluable for understanding user behavior and identifying areas for improvement.

Replay analyzes the video to identify:

• •Pages visited: The different screens or views accessed by the user.
• •Actions taken: The clicks, form submissions, and other interactions performed by the user.
• •Navigation paths: The sequence of pages visited by the user.

The resulting product flow map provides a clear and concise overview of the user's experience.

Comparison with Existing Tools#

Replay distinguishes itself from existing code generation tools through its behavior-driven reconstruction approach.

As the table illustrates, Replay offers a unique combination of video input, behavior analysis, and functional UI generation, making it a powerful tool for recreating complex dashboards and applications.

💡 Pro Tip: For best results, ensure your video recording is clear and well-lit. Clearly demonstrate all the interactions and data flows you want Replay to capture.

📝 Note: Replay is constantly evolving, and new features and integrations are being added regularly. Check the official documentation for the latest updates.

Step-by-Step Example: Recreating a Simple To-Do List Dashboard#

Let's walk through a simplified example of recreating a to-do list dashboard using Replay.

Step 1: Record a Video#

Record a video of yourself interacting with a to-do list dashboard. Show yourself adding tasks, marking them as complete, and deleting them.

Step 2: Upload to Replay#

Upload the video to Replay using the CLI:

bash
replay upload todo-list.mp4

Step 3: Configure Settings#

Configure Replay to use React as the target framework and enable Supabase integration (if you want to persist the to-do list data).

Step 4: Review the Generated Code#

Replay will generate React code similar to the following:

typescript
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import { createClient } from '@supabase/supabase-js';

const supabaseUrl = process.env.REACT_APP_SUPABASE_URL;
const supabaseKey = process.env.REACT_APP_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY;
const supabase = createClient(supabaseUrl, supabaseKey);

interface Todo {
  id: number;
  task: string;
  completed: boolean;
}

const TodoList = () => {
  const [todos, setTodos] = useState<Todo[]>([]);
  const [newTask, setNewTask] = useState('');

  useEffect(() => {
    const fetchTodos = async () => {
      const { data, error } = await supabase
        .from('todos')
        .select('*')
        .order('id', { ascending: false });

      if (error) {
        console.error('Error fetching todos:', error);
      } else {
        setTodos(data as Todo[]);
      }
    };

    fetchTodos();
  }, []);

  const addTodo = async () => {
    if (newTask.trim() === '') return;

    const { data, error } = await supabase
      .from('todos')
      .insert([{ task: newTask, completed: false }])
      .select('*')
      .single();

    if (error) {
      console.error('Error adding todo:', error);
    } else {
      setTodos([data as Todo, ...todos]);
      setNewTask('');
    }
  };

  const toggleComplete = async (id: number) => {
    const todo = todos.find(todo => todo.id === id);
    if (!todo) return;

    const { error } = await supabase
      .from('todos')
      .update({ completed: !todo.completed })
      .eq('id', id);

    if (error) {
      console.error('Error updating todo:', error);
    } else {
      setTodos(todos.map(todo =>
        todo.id === id ? { ...todo, completed: !todo.completed } : todo
      ));
    }
  };

  const deleteTodo = async (id: number) => {
    const { error } = await supabase
      .from('todos')
      .delete()
      .eq('id', id);

    if (error) {
      console.error('Error deleting todo:', error);
    } else {
      setTodos(todos.filter(todo => todo.id !== id));
    }
  };


  return (
    <div>
      <h1>To-Do List</h1>
      <input
        type="text"
        value={newTask}
        onChange={(e) => setNewTask(e.target.value)}
        placeholder="Add new task"
      />
      <button onClick={addTodo}>Add</button>
      <ul>
        {todos.map(todo => (
          <li key={todo.id}>
            <input
              type="checkbox"
              checked={todo.completed}
              onChange={() => toggleComplete(todo.id)}
            />
            <span>{todo.task}</span>
            <button onClick={() => deleteTodo(todo.id)}>Delete</button>
          </li>
        ))}
      </ul>
    </div>
  );
};

export default TodoList;

This code provides a basic to-do list functionality with Supabase integration. You can further customize the code to add more features and styles.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free tier with limited usage and paid plans for more extensive use. Check the pricing page for details.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

Replay analyzes video recordings to understand user behavior, while v0.dev uses text prompts to generate UI. Replay focuses on reconstructing existing UIs based on observed interactions, while v0.dev generates new UIs based on textual descriptions.

What types of applications can Replay reconstruct?#

Replay can reconstruct a wide range of applications, including dashboards, e-commerce sites, and mobile apps. The complexity of the application depends on the clarity and completeness of the video recording.

What if the generated code has errors?#

Replay's analysis is not always perfect, and the generated code may contain errors. You can review and edit the code to correct any issues. Replay also provides tools to debug and refine the reconstruction process.

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