GIAst

David David posted an update — Jun 16, 2025 07:01 PM EDT

Thanks for the heads-up! Here’s the clean, emoji-free version of your development log:

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Brainstorming & Ideation

• The project began with the idea to simplify issue tracking on GitLab using AI.
• The core concept was to automatically classify and summarize GitLab issues as they’re created or updated.
• This led to the creation of GIAst – GitLab Issue Assistant – to streamline developer workflows.

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Phase 1: System Architecture

• Defined the architecture:

  • Frontend: React + Vite + TailwindCSS + shadcn/ui
  • Backend: Node.js (Express) with MongoDB
  • AI: Gemini Pro from Google Generative AI
  • Authentication: Firebase
  • Dev Environment: Used Lovable.dev for live previews and fast iteration

• Flow: GitLab → Webhook → Express API → Gemini → MongoDB → Frontend UI

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Phase 2: Authentication Setup

• Integrated Firebase for:

  • Google-based user sign-in
  • Token-based verification on backend using Firebase Admin SDK

• Secured backend API routes with authentication middleware

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Phase 3: Backend and Webhook Development

• Created RESTful endpoints:

  • /api/repositories
  • /api/issues
  • /api/webhook/gitlab

• Built MongoDB models using Mongoose for Repository and Issue

• Implemented GitLab webhook to trigger AI summarization on issue events

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Phase 4: Gemini AI Integration

• Connected Gemini Pro API for natural language understanding
• Designed prompts to return:

  {
    "summary": "...",
    "classification": "bug|feature|documentation|other"
  }

• Handled AI output validation and fallback messaging

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Phase 5: Frontend Implementation

• Built a dashboard UI with Tailwind and shadcn/ui

• Pages included:

  • Repository manager with webhook setup instructions
  • Real-time AI-annotated issue listings
  • Modal-based forms for creating and editing repositories

• Hook structure (useRepositories, useIssues) helped maintain a clean state management flow

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Phase 6: Token Management and API Security

• CORS errors were resolved by dynamically setting origins in Express middleware
• Implemented token refresh and automatic re-authorization on the frontend
• API service was structured with robust error handling and retry logic

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Phase 7: Chrome Extensions

Custom Screen Recorder Extension

• Developed a minimalist Chrome extension to record clean, high-resolution screen sessions
• Tailored for developers, enabling efficient walkthrough recordings without extra tools like Loom or Screenity

GIAst Chrome Extension

• Created a second Chrome extension to provide real-time GitLab issue alerts and summaries
• Users can get updates without opening the main dashboard

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Final Phase: Recording and Documentation

• Documented every development phase and architectural decision
• Used the custom screen recorder to capture the entire project journey
• Prepared for public release via video walkthroughs, GitHub, and a possible product launch

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Tools and Technologies Used

Tool / Service	Purpose
React + Vite	Frontend framework
TailwindCSS	UI styling
shadcn/ui	UI components library
Firebase	User authentication and token handling
Express.js	API backend
MongoDB Atlas	Database for repositories and issues
Google Gemini Pro	AI for summarizing and classifying issues
GitLab Webhooks	Real-time integration source
Lovable.dev	Frontend live preview and deployment
Chrome Extension (Custom)	Screen recording
Chrome Extension (GIAst)	Real-time GitLab issue notifications

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