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January 4, 20267 min readStruggling With UI

Struggling With UI Modernization? Replay AI Can Help You Rebuild Legacy Apps Quickly

R
Replay Team
Developer Advocates

TL;DR: Replay AI helps modernize legacy applications by analyzing screen recordings and automatically generating working UI code, significantly reducing development time and effort.

Modernizing legacy UIs is a nightmare. Rewriting clunky, outdated interfaces is a costly and time-consuming process, often fraught with unexpected bugs and compatibility issues. Developers spend countless hours reverse-engineering existing functionality, deciphering convoluted code, and manually recreating UIs. What if you could skip the manual labor and let AI do the heavy lifting?

Enter Replay, a revolutionary video-to-code engine that uses Gemini to reconstruct working UI from screen recordings. Replay understands user behavior and intent, allowing you to rebuild legacy apps faster and more efficiently than ever before.

The Problem: Legacy UI Modernization is a Pain#

Legacy UIs are often:

  • Difficult to maintain: Spaghetti code, outdated libraries, and lack of documentation make updates a risky endeavor.
  • User-unfriendly: Clunky interfaces and poor usability lead to decreased productivity and frustrated users.
  • Technically obsolete: Incompatible with modern devices and browsers, hindering accessibility and performance.
  • Expensive to rewrite: Manual reconstruction is time-consuming, error-prone, and requires specialized skills.

Existing screenshot-to-code tools offer a limited solution. They can generate basic UI elements, but they fail to capture the underlying behavior and logic. This means developers still have to manually implement the functionality, defeating the purpose of automation.

Replay: Behavior-Driven Reconstruction#

Replay takes a different approach. Instead of relying on static screenshots, Replay analyzes video recordings of user interactions. This allows Replay to understand what users are trying to do, not just what they see.

This "Behavior-Driven Reconstruction" enables Replay to generate more accurate and functional code. By understanding the user flow, Replay can automatically recreate complex UI interactions, including:

  • Multi-page flows
  • Form submissions
  • Data updates
  • Conditional logic

Replay treats the video as the single source of truth, ensuring that the generated code accurately reflects the original application's behavior.

Key Features of Replay#

  • Video Input: Analyze screen recordings of your legacy application. ✅
  • Multi-page Generation: Reconstruct entire user flows across multiple pages. ✅
  • Supabase Integration: Seamlessly connect your generated UI to your Supabase backend. ✅
  • Style Injection: Apply custom styles to match your desired design aesthetic. ✅
  • Product Flow Maps: Visualize and understand the user flows within your application. ✅

How Replay Works: A Step-by-Step Guide#

Let's walk through a simple example of using Replay to modernize a legacy login form.

Step 1: Record a Video#

Record a video of yourself interacting with the legacy login form. Make sure to include:

  • Entering your username and password
  • Clicking the "Login" button
  • Navigating to the next page after successful login

💡 Pro Tip: Record multiple variations of the user flow, including error scenarios (e.g., incorrect password). This will help Replay generate more robust code.

Step 2: Upload to Replay#

Upload the video to Replay. The AI engine will analyze the video and begin reconstructing the UI.

Step 3: Review and Customize#

Once the reconstruction is complete, review the generated code. You can customize the UI elements, adjust the styling, and connect it to your backend.

Step 4: Integrate with Your Project#

Download the generated code and integrate it into your modern application.

Code Example: Generated Login Form#

Here's an example of the code Replay might generate for a login form:

typescript
// React component for a login form import React, { useState } from 'react'; const LoginForm = () => { const [username, setUsername] = useState(''); const [password, setPassword] = useState(''); const [error, setError] = useState(''); const handleSubmit = async (e) => { e.preventDefault(); try { const response = await fetch('/api/login', { method: 'POST', headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json', }, body: JSON.stringify({ username, password }), }); const data = await response.json(); if (response.ok) { // Redirect to the next page window.location.href = '/dashboard'; } else { setError(data.message || 'Login failed'); } } catch (err) { setError('An error occurred'); console.error(err); } }; return ( <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}> {error && <p className="error">{error}</p>} <label htmlFor="username">Username:</label> <input type="text" id="username" value={username} onChange={(e) => setUsername(e.target.value)} /> <label htmlFor="password">Password:</label> <input type="password" id="password" value={password} onChange={(e) => setPassword(e.target.value)} /> <button type="submit">Login</button> </form> ); }; export default LoginForm;

This code provides a basic React component with input fields for username and password, a submit button, and error handling. Replay would generate similar code based on the video analysis, adapting to the specific UI elements and behavior observed in the recording.

Replay vs. Traditional Methods and Other Tools#

How does Replay compare to traditional UI modernization methods and other AI-powered tools?

FeatureManual RewriteScreenshot-to-CodeReplay
Development TimeVery HighMediumLow
AccuracyHigh (if done carefully)LowMedium-High
Behavior AnalysisManualLimitedComprehensive
MaintenanceHighMediumLow
CostVery HighMediumLow-Medium
Video Input
Multi-Page SupportManualLimited
Understanding User Intent
Learning CurveLowMediumLow

⚠️ Warning: While Replay significantly accelerates the modernization process, it's not a magic bullet. You may still need to fine-tune the generated code and integrate it with your existing infrastructure.

Replay differentiates itself from screenshot-to-code tools by:

  • Understanding the context: Video analysis allows Replay to infer user intent and application logic.
  • Generating more functional code: Replay can recreate complex interactions and multi-page flows.
  • Reducing manual effort: By automating the reconstruction process, Replay frees up developers to focus on higher-level tasks.

Benefits of Using Replay#

  • Accelerated Development: Rebuild UIs in days instead of weeks or months. 🚀
  • Reduced Costs: Save time and resources by automating the reconstruction process.
  • Improved Accuracy: Behavior-driven reconstruction ensures that the generated code accurately reflects the original application's behavior.
  • Enhanced Maintainability: Modernize your codebase and make it easier to maintain and update.
  • Better User Experience: Create modern, user-friendly interfaces that improve user satisfaction.

📝 Note: Replay is particularly well-suited for projects involving complex user flows, legacy systems with limited documentation, and teams looking to accelerate their UI modernization efforts.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free tier with limited usage. Paid plans are available for larger projects and more advanced features. Check the pricing page on the Replay website for details.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

While both tools aim to generate UI code, Replay uses video input and behavior analysis to understand user intent, while v0.dev typically relies on text prompts or designs. Replay excels at reconstructing existing UIs from screen recordings, whereas v0.dev is better suited for creating new UIs from scratch.

What types of applications is Replay best suited for?#

Replay is ideal for modernizing legacy web applications, desktop applications, and mobile apps. It works best with applications that have well-defined user flows and interactions.

What frameworks and languages does Replay support?#

Replay supports a wide range of popular frameworks and languages, including React, Angular, Vue.js, and more. The generated code can be easily integrated into your existing projects.

How secure is Replay?#

Replay employs industry-standard security measures to protect your data. All video recordings are securely stored and processed. You have full control over your data and can delete it at any time.


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

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