The Simple Guide (Part 2): Our Software Factory & Global Delivery

tanstack-querymoondrizzleormdenodeployment

In Part 1, we covered our core "data tools"—the Plan (TypeScript), the Inspection (Zod), and the Action (RPC).
Now, let's look at the rest of the operation: the modern factory we use to build, run, and deliver our software to the world.

1. TanStack Query (The "Front Office" Assistant)

If our app is a factory, TanStack Query is the hyper-efficient personal assistant working in the "front office" (the user interface you see).
When you need information (like clicking to see your profile), you don't call the factory floor (our server) directly. You just tell your assistant, "Get me my profile data."
This assistant is brilliant:

  • It handles waiting: It immediately puts up a "Loading..." sign so you know it's working.
  • It has a perfect memory (Caching): If you ask for the same profile data a second later, it doesn't bother the factory. It just gives you the data from its "short-term memory," making the app feel instant.
  • It double-checks (Refetching): After a few minutes, it quietly calls the factory in the background just to see if your profile has changed. If it has, it updates your screen automatically.
  • It's professional (Error Handling): If the factory line is busy or the call fails, it shows a polite "Sorry, couldn't get that data" message instead of just crashing.

2. Monorepo Build Tools (The "Factory Foreman")

Our application isn't one giant program. It's a "monorepo," which is like a huge factory campus with all departments (our website, our admin dashboard, our API) under one roof. Monorepo build tools like Moon, Turborepo, Nx, or Rush are the factory foreman who has the master blueprint of the entire campus.

  • They know the build order: The foreman knows you must build the foundation (our shared code) before you can put up the walls (our website). It orchestrates the entire build in the correct order.
  • They never build the same part twice (Caching): The foreman keeps a "central warehouse" of pre-built parts. Before starting any job, it checks the warehouse. If that exact part has already been built (by you, another developer, or our CI), it just grabs the finished part. This makes our build process incredibly fast.

3. DrizzleORM (The "Archives Librarian")

Every factory has an archive. Ours is the database, which stores all our critical data.
DrizzleORM is the master librarian who manages those archives.
The best part? This librarian speaks our language. We don't have to learn the archive's complex, old filing language (SQL). We just hand the librarian our TypeScript "blueprint" (from Part 1) and say:

  • "Please get all 'user' files that match this blueprint."
  • "Please file this new 'report' and ensure it matches this blueprint."

The librarian finds or files the data, guaranteeing that everything going into or coming out of the archive is 100% correct according to our plan.

4. Deno (The "Factory Engine")

Every factory needs an engine. For decades, the main option was Node.js (like an old, complex, but reliable gas engine). Deno is the new, modern, secure engine. Think of it as a next-generation electric engine.

  • It's secure by default: This engine requires explicit permission flags (like --allow-read or --allow-net) for most operations. It can't access your files, the network, or anything else unless you specifically allow it. This is a massive security improvement over traditional runtimes.
  • It's simple and clean: It doesn't have a giant, messy node_modules folder (like a junk drawer of spare parts). It handles dependencies in a much cleaner way.
  • It speaks TypeScript natively: It understands our "blueprints" automatically, without any complicated setup.

5. Deno Deploy (The "Global Delivery Network")

If Deno is our engine, Deno Deploy is the global delivery network built specifically for that engine.
This isn't just one factory. It's a network of identical factories (data centers) all over the world. When you use our application, you are connected to the closest factory to you.
This means our application is:

  • Instantly Deployed: We can update all our factories worldwide in seconds.
  • Blazing Fast: You get your data from a building down the street, not from one halfway across the world.