Task 1: Create a Web App

Minimum time to complete	5 minutes
Services used	AWS Amplify
Requires	A GitHub account GitHub SSH connection Nodejs and npm
Get help	Troubleshooting Amplify How Amplify works

Overview

AWS Amplify offers a Git-based CI/CD workflow for building, deploying, and hosting single-page web applications or static sites with backends. When connected to a Git repository, Amplify determines the build settings for both the frontend framework and any configured backend resources, and automatically deploys updates with every code commit.

In this task, you will start by creating a new React application and pushing it to a GitHub repository. You will then connect the repository to AWS Amplify web hosting and deploy it to a globally available content delivery network (CDN) hosted on an amplifyapp.com domain. 

Key concepts

React Application: React is a JavaScript library that enables developers to quickly build performant single-page applications.

Git: Git is a version control system that allows developers to store files, maintain and update relationships between files and directories, and track versions and changes to the files.

Implementation

Step 1: Create a new React application

1. Create the app

   In a new terminal or command line window, run the following command to use Vite to create a React application:

   npm create vite@latest profilesapp -- --template react
   cd profilesapp
   npm install
   npm run dev
   

   

2. View the app

   In the terminal window, select and open the Local link to view the Vite + React application.

   

Step 2: Install the Amplify packages

1. Open GitHub

   Sign in to GitHub at https://github.com/.

   

2. Start repository

   In the Start a new repository section, make the following selections:

   • For Repository name, enter profilesapp, and choose the Public radio button.

   • Then select, Create a new repository.

   

3. Push the app to GitHub

   Open a new terminal window, navigate to your projects root folder (profilesapp), and run the following commands to initialize a git and push of the application to the new GitHub repo:

   Note

   Replace the SSH GitHub URL in the command with your GitHub URL.

   git init
   git add .
   git commit -m "first commit"
   git remote add origin [e-mail]:<your-username>/profilesapp.git 
   git branch -M main
   git push -u origin main
   

Step 3: Initialize a GitHub repository

1. Create an Amplify project

   Open a new terminal window, navigate to your app's root folder (profilesapp), and run the following command:

   npm create amplify@latest -y
   

   

2. View the project directory

   Running the previous command will scaffold a lightweight Amplify project in the app’s directory.

   

3. Push the changes to the repository

   In your terminal window, run the following command to push the changes to GitHub:

   git add .
   git commit -m 'installing amplify'
   git push origin main
   

   

Step 4: Deploy your app with AWS Amplify

In this step, you will connect the GitHub repository you just created to AWS Amplify. This will enable you to build and deploy your app on AWS.

1. Create a new Amplify app

   Sign in to the AWS Management console in a new browser window, and open the AWS Amplify console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/amplify/apps.

   Choose Create new app.

   

2. Choose GitHub as your Git provider

   On the Start building with Amplify page, for Deploy your app, select GitHub, and select Next.

   

3. Add repository and branch

   When prompted, authenticate with GitHub. You will be automatically redirected back to the Amplify console. Choose the repository and main branch you created earlier. Then select Next.

   

4. Review build settings

   Leave the default build settings, and select Next.

   

5. Deploy the app

   Review the inputs selected, and choose Save and deploy.

   

6. Monitor build status

   AWS Amplify will now build your source code and deploy your app at https://...amplifyapp.com, and on every git push your deployment instance will update. 

   It may take up to 5 minutes to deploy your app.

   

7. View the deployed app

   Once the build completes, select the Visit deployed URL button to see your web app up and running live. 

   

Conclusion

You have deployed a React application in the AWS Cloud by integrating with GitHub and using AWS Amplify. With AWS Amplify, you can continuously deploy your application in the Cloud and host it on a globally available CDN.