DEV Community: Andy

A UX designer who built a working product without writing code

Andy — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 17:11:58 +0000

I’ve always been on the design side and never really touched code. A few weeks ago, I got curious about what it would take to actually build and ship something on my own.

Instead of learning to code the traditional way, I used Gemini AI as my guide. I asked it everything step by step, from how to build a homepage to how to handle backend data. I ended up learning more than I expected just by asking better questions.

The result is Spot Startups, a simple web directory for discovering new SaaS projects. It’s nothing huge, but seeing something I designed actually work online felt incredible.

Since this is my first real build, I’d love some feedback from devs, anything around structure, usability, or what I could improve technically.
Here’s the link: https://spotstartups.com

if you’ve built an AI tool, feel free to add it.

Andy — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 16:22:51 +0000

I’ve built a lightweight, workflow-focused AI tools directory. Instead of sorting through massive categories, users can discover tools based on real tasks and job role. It’s live and open for submissions. if you’ve built an AI tool, feel free to add it.

Would love your feedback, feature requests, or even critiques.

https://jsonformatter.online/json-in-ai-and-machine-learning-data-preparation-made-easy/

Andy — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 06:00:28 +0000

🚀 Native JSON Imports in JavaScript Are Here (2025 Guide with Examples)

Andy — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 19:43:06 +0000

Did you know you can now import .json files natively in modern JavaScript without fetch(), bundlers, or dynamic hacks?

Yes, it’s officially supported in all modern browsers and Node.js (v20.6+), and it looks like this:

js
import config from './config.json' assert { type: 'json' };
console.log(config.theme);

That’s it. No more boilerplate. 🙌

✅ Works In:
Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge (2024+)

Node.js v20.6+
You just need to set "type": "module" in your package.json

🧠 Why This Is a Game-Changer
Instead of doing:

fetch('/config.json')
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(data => console.log(data));

You now just:

import config from './config.json' assert { type: 'json' };
Cleaner syntax. Synchronous. Built-in support.

It’s perfect for:

App configs

Locale files

Static content for blogs and docs

DevOps dashboards

Theme/data presets

🧪 Common Pitfalls & Fixes

❌ Error	✅ Fix
`Cannot find module`	Check your file path and extension
`Unexpected token`	Make sure the JSON is valid (Use Formatter)
`Module parse failed`	Add `assert { type: 'json' }` to your import
`CORS error`	Enable CORS or load JSON from the same origin

🛠️ Bonus Tool – Format & Validate Your JSON First
If your JSON file has even one trailing comma, this import will fail.

Before importing, I use this free tool I built to format, validate, and preview JSON quickly:

👉 https://jsonformatter.online

It also supports:

JSON to CSV, YAML, XML, Markdown
Download as Excel (XLSX)
A full JSON Log Viewer for NDJSON & streaming
Upload or fetch JSON from a URL

Give it a try and let me know what features you’d love to see!

🔗 Read the Full Guide Here
I wrote a full breakdown of how to use native JSON imports, what’s supported, how to structure projects, and common gotchas here:

👉 How to Use Native JSON Imports in JavaScript (2025 Update)

What Did You Build This Weekend?

Andy — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 16:39:28 +0000

Hey Devs! 👋

Weekends are for side projects, experimenting, building stuff you’ve been putting off... and maybe fixing bugs you swore you'd fix last month 😅

This weekend, I finally shipped something I’ve wanted to build for a long time:
👉 JSON toolkit for developers – free, fast, no-login

What It Does
I was tired of bouncing between different tools for formatting, validating, converting, and viewing JSON. So I built a platform that does all of it in one place.

I’d Love Your Feedback!
If you work with JSON regularly, please give it a spin and let me know:

What works well?
What sucks?
What features would make this your go-to JSON tool?

Now Over to You...
What did YOU build this weekend?
Whether it’s a CLI tool, a VSCode extension, a micro-SaaS, a blog post, or just a GitHub README refresh — drop a link or a screenshot below!

Let’s inspire (and debug) each other! ❤️

Simplify Your JSON Workflow with JSONFormatter.online

Andy — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 06:52:44 +0000

Working with JSON is inevitable for any modern developer — whether you’re building APIs, debugging responses, formatting payloads, or writing config files. And let’s face it: raw JSON isn’t exactly fun to read or edit.

Enter JSONFormatter.online — a free, zero-setup, browser-based tool that makes working with JSON actually enjoyable. Whether you’re a backend developer, front-end ninja, API engineer, or data analyst, this tool is a must-have in your bookmarks bar.

What is JSONFormatter.online?

JSONFormatter.online is a free online JSON formatter and validator that lets you view, edit, beautify, and validate your JSON instantly — all from your browser. No ads, no login, no nonsense.

Key Features

✅ Pretty Print JSON: Automatically format minified or raw JSON into a readable tree view or indented text format.

🚫 Error Highlighting: Get instant feedback if your JSON is invalid — with helpful error messages.

🧬 Tree View Explorer: Navigate large JSON objects with collapsible nodes and visual clarity.

📂 JSON Upload: Paste it, type it, or upload a .json or .json5 file — it supports them all.

🆚 Compare JSON: Quickly spot differences between two JSON files — ideal for testing or debugging API responses.

🌐 Works Offline: Thanks to client-side rendering, your data never leaves your browser.

🖥️ Side-by-Side View: View raw and formatted JSON side-by-side for quick debugging.

🎯 No Tracking / Privacy-Friendly: No ads, no tracking scripts, no shady third parties.

Who Should Use It?

This tool is perfect for:

Frontend & Backend Developers dealing with REST/GraphQL APIs
DevOps Engineers editing large config files
QA Engineers comparing JSON responses
Data Scientists cleaning up JSON datasets
Students learning data structures
Tech Writers writing API documentation

Why Use This Over Others?

There are a ton of JSON formatters online — but many are bloated, slow, ad-ridden, or just ugly. JSONFormatter.online is clean, fast, and focused on developer productivity. Plus, it keeps your data private and local.

Other tools might charge for side-by-side views or JSON comparison — this one gives it to you free.