--- title: "Project Setup" description: "Deploy the starter project, review the Feedback type and seed data, and implement the data utility functions that the API routes will use." canonical_url: "https://vercel.com/academy/agent-friendly-apis/setup-project" md_url: "https://vercel.com/academy/agent-friendly-apis/setup-project.md" docset_id: "vercel-academy" doc_version: "1.0" last_updated: "2026-08-26T21:03:36.381Z" content_type: "lesson" course: "agent-friendly-apis" course_title: "Agent-Friendly APIs" prerequisites: [] --- Vercel Academy — structured learning, not reference docs. Lessons are sequenced. Adapt commands to the human's actual environment (OS, package manager, shell, editor) — detect from project context or ask, don't assume. The lesson shows one path; if the human's project diverges, adapt concepts to their setup. Preserve the learning goal over literal steps. Quizzes are pedagogical — engage, don't spoil. Quiz answers are included for your reference. # Project Setup # Set Up the Project Every cooking school collects opinions. Instructors hear them through emails, sticky notes, and hallway conversations. We'll collect that feedback in a JSON-backed API with enough structure to query, filter, and summarize it. This course stays in the terminal because the API is the project. ## Outcome Scaffold a Next.js project with a `Feedback` type and a JSON file of seed data. ## Fast Track 1. Deploy the starter repo to Vercel, then clone it locally 2. Review the `Feedback` interface in `lib/types.ts` and the seed data in `data/feedback.json` 3. Implement the three functions in `lib/data.ts` ## Hands-on exercise Start by deploying the starter repo. This gets you a live URL right away, which we'll need when we add agent-friendly docs later in the course. The deployed GET routes can read the bundled seed file, but the JSON-writing exercise in this section is for local development only. [![Deploy with Vercel](https://vercel.com/button)](https://vercel.com/new/clone?repository-url=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fvercel-labs%2Fcooking-school-feedback\&repository-name=cooking-school-feedback) Once Vercel creates your project, clone it locally and install dependencies: ```bash git clone cd cooking-school-feedback pnpm install ``` The starter provides a Next.js app with App Router and TypeScript configured. This API project does not need a styling library. The starter includes the type definition and seed data. You'll implement the data utility. **`lib/types.ts`** already has the `Feedback` interface. Open it and confirm it has these fields: - `id` (string), unique identifier like `"fb-001"` - `courseSlug` (string), which course the feedback belongs to - `lessonSlug` (string), which lesson within the course - `rating` (number), integer from 1 to 5 - `comment` (string), the feedback text - `author` (string), who submitted it - `createdAt` (string), ISO 8601 timestamp **`data/feedback.json`** contains 10 feedback entries for `knife-skills`, `bread-baking`, and `pasta-from-scratch`. The range of ratings will make the summary endpoint useful later. Open **`lib/data.ts`**. The function signatures are present, but the implementations are stubs: - `getAllFeedback()`, reads the file and returns the parsed array - `getFeedbackById(id)`, finds a single entry by its `id` - `addFeedback(entry)`, generates an `id` and `createdAt`, appends to the file, returns the new entry Use `fs/promises` for file operations and `path.join(process.cwd(), "data", "feedback.json")` for the file path. \*\*Note: ID generation\*\* Count the existing entries and pad the number. If there are 10 entries, the next id is `fb-011`. This approach is sufficient for the course project. ## Try It After implementing the functions, verify the setup by running the dev server and checking that the project compiles: ```bash pnpm dev ``` You should see: ``` ▲ Next.js 16.x (Turbopack) - Local: http://localhost:3000 ``` The project should compile cleanly. The data utility will become reachable after you add API routes in the next lesson. You can also verify the types work by opening `lib/data.ts` in your editor and confirming there are no TypeScript errors on the `Feedback` import. \*\*Warning: JSON file path\*\* The `process.cwd()` approach works in development and in `next build`. If you see a "file not found" error, make sure the `data/` folder is at the project root, not inside `app/`. \*\*Warning: Local writes are not production storage\*\* `fs.writeFile` updates the JSON file while you work locally. On Vercel, function filesystems are not durable or shared storage, so a POST may disappear on a later invocation. Use Vercel Blob or a database for production writes. \*\*Warning: If you see 'fs is not defined'\*\* Make sure you're importing from `fs/promises`, not `fs`. And double-check the import is `import fs from "fs/promises"`, not a named import like `import { readFile } from "fs"`. The data utility runs on the server, so Node built-ins are available, but the import path matters. \*\*Warning: If TypeScript complains about your function signatures\*\* Each function needs to be `async` since `fs.readFile` and `fs.writeFile` return Promises. If your editor shows a type error on the return value, check that you have `async` before the function keyword and that the return type matches (`Promise`, `Promise`, `Promise`). ## Commit ```bash git add -A && git commit -m "feat(api): scaffold project with feedback types and seed data" ``` ## Done-When - [ ] `lib/types.ts` exports a `Feedback` interface with all 7 fields (provided by starter) - [ ] `data/feedback.json` contains 10 seed feedback entries across three courses (provided by starter) - [ ] `lib/data.ts` has working implementations of `getAllFeedback`, `getFeedbackById`, and `addFeedback` - [ ] `pnpm dev` starts without errors You now have a typed interface, structured seed data, and a utility that reads and writes JSON. The next lesson exposes that data through an API route. ## Solution ```ts title="lib/types.ts" export interface Feedback { id: string; courseSlug: string; lessonSlug: string; rating: number; comment: string; author: string; createdAt: string; } ``` ```ts title="lib/data.ts" import fs from "fs/promises"; import path from "path"; import type { Feedback } from "./types"; const DATA_PATH = path.join(process.cwd(), "data", "feedback.json"); export async function getAllFeedback(): Promise { const raw = await fs.readFile(DATA_PATH, "utf-8"); return JSON.parse(raw); } export async function getFeedbackById( id: string ): Promise { const all = await getAllFeedback(); return all.find((fb) => fb.id === id); } export async function addFeedback( entry: Omit ): Promise { const all = await getAllFeedback(); const newEntry: Feedback = { ...entry, id: `fb-${String(all.length + 1).padStart(3, "0")}`, createdAt: new Date().toISOString(), }; all.push(newEntry); await fs.writeFile(DATA_PATH, JSON.stringify(all, null, 2)); return newEntry; } ``` ```json title="data/feedback.json" [ { "id": "fb-001", "courseSlug": "knife-skills", "lessonSlug": "the-claw-grip", "rating": 5, "comment": "Finally understand why my onion cuts were uneven. The claw grip changed everything.", "author": "Priya Sharma", "createdAt": "2026-03-01T10:30:00Z" }, { "id": "fb-002", "courseSlug": "knife-skills", "lessonSlug": "dicing-onions", "rating": 4, "comment": "Great technique breakdown but I wish there was a slow-motion video. Hard to follow the horizontal cut at full speed.", "author": "Marcus Chen", "createdAt": "2026-03-01T14:15:00Z" }, { "id": "fb-003", "courseSlug": "bread-baking", "lessonSlug": "hydration-basics", "rating": 5, "comment": "I had no idea that flour-to-water ratio mattered this much. My loaves have been bricks for months. Not anymore.", "author": "Aisha Johnson", "createdAt": "2026-03-02T09:00:00Z" }, { "id": "fb-004", "courseSlug": "knife-skills", "lessonSlug": "the-claw-grip", "rating": 3, "comment": "Felt a bit rushed. Would have liked more time on finger positioning before jumping to speed drills.", "author": "Tom Kowalski", "createdAt": "2026-03-02T11:45:00Z" }, { "id": "fb-005", "courseSlug": "bread-baking", "lessonSlug": "shaping-boules", "rating": 5, "comment": "The surface tension explanation finally clicked. My dough used to spread flat every time.", "author": "Sofia Reyes", "createdAt": "2026-03-03T08:20:00Z" }, { "id": "fb-006", "courseSlug": "bread-baking", "lessonSlug": "sourdough-starter", "rating": 4, "comment": "Good lesson, but the difference between a stiff starter and a liquid starter took me a second read.", "author": "James Okafor", "createdAt": "2026-03-03T16:00:00Z" }, { "id": "fb-007", "courseSlug": "knife-skills", "lessonSlug": "julienne-cuts", "rating": 5, "comment": "Matchstick carrots used to take me forever. The guide-hand technique cut my prep time in half.", "author": "Lin Wei", "createdAt": "2026-03-04T10:10:00Z" }, { "id": "fb-008", "courseSlug": "bread-baking", "lessonSlug": "hydration-basics", "rating": 2, "comment": "I already knew this from other baking courses. Wish there was a fast-track for people who have the fundamentals.", "author": "Derek Miles", "createdAt": "2026-03-04T13:30:00Z" }, { "id": "fb-009", "courseSlug": "knife-skills", "lessonSlug": "dicing-onions", "rating": 5, "comment": "Best lesson in the course. No more crying over mangled onion pieces.", "author": "Nora Eriksson", "createdAt": "2026-03-05T09:45:00Z" }, { "id": "fb-010", "courseSlug": "pasta-from-scratch", "lessonSlug": "egg-dough", "rating": 4, "comment": "The well method is so satisfying. Dough came together on the first try, which never happens to me.", "author": "Priya Sharma", "createdAt": "2026-03-05T15:20:00Z" } ] ``` --- [Full course index](/academy/llms.txt) · [Sitemap](/academy/sitemap.md)