70 Modules, One Deployment: A Journey with Convex Backend

In the bustling tech landscape of Northeast India, a groundbreaking development has taken place that could revolutionize the way software is built and maintained. Hamza Saleem, the founder of Client Commander, has shared his experience of building a Convex backend for web, mobile, and API, revealing a remarkable system that serves a web dashboard, a mobile app, a background sync service, and a full REST API with just 70 modules.

Real-time Permissions and User-friendly Architecture

One of the key features of the Client Commander is its multi-tenant CRM system. Users can sign up, add their team, manage contacts, and deals. The technical requirements for such a system are substantial, including permissions, real-time sync, mobile, API access, and background jobs. Convex, the platform used by Client Commander, surprised Saleem by handling these requirements seamlessly.

Subscriptions and Code-driven Updates

Convex queries are subscriptions, not one-off requests. They keep running every time the underlying data changes, the query re-evaluates. This feature allows for real-time updates in permissions, ensuring that users see the correct data instantly, without refreshing, logging out, or waiting.

Mobile App Development Without Additional Backend Code

Client Commander also ships a mobile app, developed with zero new backend code. This is noteworthy because it eliminates the time-consuming process of creating a separate backend for mobile apps. The Expo app imports the same API as the Next.js app, ensuring consistency across platforms.

REST API for External Integrations

While real-time is great for dashboards, external integrations often require REST. Convex addresses this by adding a REST API with 40+ endpoints. These endpoints are simply thin wrappers around the functions that power the UI, making the process efficient and hassle-free.

Workflows That Outlive Deployments

Client Commander also employs workflows that can span weeks without the need for manual intervention. These workflows continue even after server restarts, picking up exactly where they left off. This feature eliminates the need for managing state machines and dealing with stuck jobs.

Search Without Infrastructure Management

Search functionality is crucial for any CRM system. With Convex, search indexes update transactionally with your data, eliminating the need for deciding on search services, handling data sync, and managing lag between the database and search index.

In the context of Northeast India, the implications of such a platform are significant. Developers in the region can leverage Convex to build complex, scalable applications with ease, reducing the time and resources required for infrastructure management. This could lead to a surge in innovative software solutions, boosting the tech sector in the region and contributing to India's digital growth.

Conclusion

Hamza Saleem's journey with Convex serves as an inspiring example of what can be achieved when a developer focuses on building and the platform supports that vision. As more developers in Northeast India and beyond discover Convex, we can expect to see a wave of innovative applications that redefine what is possible in the realm of software development.