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Getting Started

BlazeHack is a meticulously designed technical workshop series that serves as a transformative learning experience for developers seeking to master modern serverless application development. By leveraging Cloudflare's innovative ecosystem of developer tools and services, the program bridges the critical gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, creating a comprehensive pathway for technological skill advancement.

The workshop is strategically crafted to provide participants with a hands-on, immersive journey through cutting-edge serverless technologies. Unlike traditional training programs, BlazeHack focuses on real-world application, enabling developers to build scalable, secure, and high-performance web applications through direct, practical experience.

BlazeNote Showcase

Objectives​

Participants will develop a fully functional note-taking application with file upload capabilities, leveraging cutting-edge serverless technologies. The curriculum is structured to provide a progressive learning experience, guiding attendees through each critical aspect of cloud-native application development.

Key Distinguished Feature​

  • Comprehensive exploration of Cloudflare's developer ecosystem
  • Hands-on, project-driven learning approach
  • Focus on bridging theoretical knowledge with practical implementation
  • Emphasis on building production-ready serverless applications
  • Community-driven skill development platform

Key Learning Outcomes​

  • Understand serverless application architecture
  • Gain proficiency with Cloudflare's developer ecosystem
  • Develop a production-ready full-stack application
  • Learn advanced cloud deployment techniques
  • Implement best practices in web application security

Project Architecture Overview​

Understanding what we're building will help you appreciate why each setup step matters:

Architecture

Frontend (blazenote-frontend)​

  • Framework: React 18 with TypeScript
  • Styling: Tailwind CSS for modern, responsive design
  • Build Tool: Vite for fast development
  • Runtime: Cloudflare Workers (serverless JavaScript)
  • Deployment: Cloudflare Workers

Backend (blazenote-backend)​

  • Runtime: Cloudflare Workers (serverless JavaScript)
  • Framework: Hono.js for lightweight API routing
  • Database: Cloudflare D1 (SQLite-compatible)
  • File Storage: Cloudflare R2 (S3-compatible)

Integration Flow​

  1. User Interface → React frontend provides the note-taking interface
  2. API Communication → Frontend makes requests to the Hono.js backend
  3. Data Storage → Backend stores note data in D1 database
  4. File Handling → Images and attachments stored in R2 storage
  5. Global Delivery → Everything deployed on Cloudflare's edge network

Prerequisites​

Hardware Requirements​

  • Laptop with a reliable internet connection
  • Operating System: Windows 10/11, macOS, or Linux
  • RAM: Minimum 8GB recommended for optimal development experience
  • Storage: At least 5GB free space for tools and project files

Essential Software Setup​

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For detailed installation instructions and troubleshooting, see our comprehensive Prerequisites & Tools Installation Guide.

Development Environment​

  • Code Editor: Visual Studio Code or Zed
  • Terminal: Command line interface (built-in Terminal/PowerShell/Zsh)

Core Development Tools​

  1. Node.js & npm (Latest LTS version)

  2. Git (Version control)

  3. Wrangler (Cloudflare's CLI tool)

    • Install globally: npm install -g wrangler
    • Verify installation: wrangler --version

Platform-Specific Requirements​

Windows Users​

  • WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) is strongly recommended
  • Follow the setup guide: Install WSL on Windows
  • This ensures compatibility with Unix-based development tools

All Users​

  • GitHub Account: Create a free account at GitHub
  • Browser: Modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge)

Pre-Workshop Checklist​

Before attending the workshop, please ensure:

  • All software is installed and functional
  • GitHub account is created and accessible
  • Command line tools respond correctly to version checks
  • Code editor is set up with basic extensions (if using VS Code)
  • Stable internet connection for cloud deployments

Need Help?​

If you encounter any issues during setup, don't worry! Our team will provide assistance during the workshop's setup session.