Over the last 15+ years, I’ve seen front‑end technology evolve dramatically—from the early days of vanilla JavaScript, through jQuery, AngularJS, and now ReactJS. Each era has taught me valuable lessons about building scalable, user‑friendly applications. Today, I want to share how to approach building a front‑end booking application using ReactJS with Material‑UI (MUI), while keeping non‑functional requirements, developer mindset, and modern AI tooling in mind.
Step 1: Planning Before Coding
Before diving into code, it’s essential to make a plan. A booking application is deceptively complex—it involves calendars, user authentication, resource management, and concurrency handling.
Key Planning Considerations:
- User flows: How will users search, select, and confirm bookings?
- Component hierarchy: Break down the UI into reusable React components (e.g.,
BookingForm,CalendarView,ResourceList). - State management: Decide between React Context, Redux, or lightweight hooks depending on complexity.
- Styling strategy: Use MUI for consistent, responsive design and theming.
- Integration points: Identify APIs for backend booking logic, notifications, and authentication.
A clear plan prevents rework and ensures the application scales gracefully.
Step 2: Styling with MUI
Material‑UI (MUI) is a powerful library that provides:
- Pre‑built components (buttons, dialogs, date pickers)
- Responsive grid layouts
- Theming for brand consistency
- Accessibility baked in
For a booking app, MUI’s DatePicker, Dialog, and DataGrid components can accelerate development while maintaining a polished look.
Non‑Functional Requirements (NFRs)
Beyond functionality, NFRs determine how well your app performs in real‑world scenarios:
- Performance: Fast rendering, lazy loading, and optimized bundle size.
- Accessibility: WCAG compliance, keyboard navigation, ARIA labels.
- Scalability: Component reusability and modular architecture.
- Security: Input validation, secure API calls, and safe state handling.
- Testability: Unit tests with Jest/React Testing Library, integration tests with Cypress.
- Maintainability: Clean code, documentation, and consistent styling.
Leveraging GitHub Copilot and AI Tools
Modern development is faster with AI assistance. Tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT can:
- Generate boilerplate React components and hooks.
- Suggest MUI component usage with proper props.
- Help debug tricky state management issues.
- Accelerate documentation and test writing.
AI tools don’t replace developers—they augment productivity. The architect’s mindset remains critical.
The Developer Mindset
From my journey across JavaScript, jQuery, AngularJS, and React, one mindset has proven invaluable: think in systems, not just code.
- Plan for change: Requirements evolve—design components to be flexible.
- Keep it simple: Avoid over‑engineering; simplicity scales better.
- Focus on user experience: A booking app succeeds only if it feels intuitive.
- Stay curious: Front‑end tech evolves—continuous learning is non‑negotiable.
Putting It All Together
A ReactJS + MUI booking application can be built step‑by‑step:
- Define user flows and wireframes.
- Set up React project with MUI theming.
- Build reusable components (
BookingForm,CalendarView). - Integrate backend APIs for booking logic.
- Add non‑functional layers: accessibility, performance optimization, testing.
- Use AI tools to accelerate repetitive tasks.
ReactJS MUI booking application – code samples
Project Setup
Now, let’s look at some code samples,
Initialize React project with Vite (faster than CRA):
npm create vite@latest booking-app --template react
cd booking-app
npm installInstall Material‑UI (MUI) and supporting libraries:
npm install @mui/material @emotion/react @emotion/styled @mui/icons-material
npm install axios react-router-domOptional AI tooling (GitHub Copilot):
- Enable Copilot in your IDE (VS Code/JetBrains).
- Use it to scaffold repetitive boilerplate (forms, hooks, tests).
Component Structure
We’ll break the app into modular components:
App.js→ Routing and layoutNavbar.js→ Navigation barBookingForm.js→ Form for booking detailsCalendarView.js→ Calendar to select datesResourceList.js→ List of bookable resourcesBookingSummary.js→ Confirmation view
import React from "react";
import { BrowserRouter as Router, Routes, Route } from "react-router-dom";
import Navbar from "./components/Navbar";
import BookingForm from "./components/BookingForm";
import CalendarView from "./components/CalendarView";
import ResourceList from "./components/ResourceList";
import BookingSummary from "./components/BookingSummary";
function App() {
return (
<Router>
<Navbar />
<Routes>
<Route path="/" element={<ResourceList />} />
<Route path="/calendar" element={<CalendarView />} />
<Route path="/book" element={<BookingForm />} />
<Route path="/summary" element={<BookingSummary />} />
</Routes>
</Router>
);
}
export default App;
Navbar.js
import React from "react";
import { AppBar, Toolbar, Typography, Button } from "@mui/material";
import { Link } from "react-router-dom";
export default function Navbar() {
return (
<AppBar position="static">
<Toolbar>
<Typography variant="h6" sx={{ flexGrow: 1 }}>
Booking App
</Typography>
<Button color="inherit" component={Link} to="/">Resources</Button>
<Button color="inherit" component={Link} to="/calendar">Calendar</Button>
<Button color="inherit" component={Link} to="/book">Book</Button>
</Toolbar>
</AppBar>
);
}
ResourceList.js
import React from "react";
import { Card, CardContent, Typography, Button, Grid } from "@mui/material";
import { Link } from "react-router-dom";
const resources = [
{ id: 1, name: "Meeting Room A" },
{ id: 2, name: "Conference Hall" },
{ id: 3, name: "Private Office" },
];
export default function ResourceList() {
return (
<Grid container spacing={2} sx={{ p: 2 }}>
{resources.map((res) => (
<Grid item xs={12} md={4} key={res.id}>
<Card>
<CardContent>
<Typography variant="h6">{res.name}</Typography>
<Button component={Link} to="/calendar" variant="contained" sx={{ mt: 2 }}>
Book Now
</Button>
</CardContent>
</Card>
</Grid>
))}
</Grid>
);
}
CalendarView.js
import React, { useState } from "react";
import { LocalizationProvider, DatePicker } from "@mui/x-date-pickers";
import { AdapterDateFns } from "@mui/x-date-pickers/AdapterDateFns";
import { Button } from "@mui/material";
import { useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
export default function CalendarView() {
const [date, setDate] = useState(null);
const navigate = useNavigate();
return (
<LocalizationProvider dateAdapter={AdapterDateFns}>
<DatePicker
label="Select Booking Date"
value={date}
onChange={(newDate) => setDate(newDate)}
renderInput={(params) => <input {...params} />}
/>
<Button
variant="contained"
sx={{ mt: 2 }}
onClick={() => navigate("/book", { state: { date } })}
>
Continue
</Button>
</LocalizationProvider>
);
}
BookingForm.js
import React, { useState } from "react";
import { TextField, Button, Box } from "@mui/material";
import { useNavigate, useLocation } from "react-router-dom";
export default function BookingForm() {
const [name, setName] = useState("");
const location = useLocation();
const navigate = useNavigate();
const handleSubmit = () => {
navigate("/summary", { state: { name, date: location.state?.date } });
};
return (
<Box sx={{ p: 2 }}>
<TextField
label="Your Name"
value={name}
onChange={(e) => setName(e.target.value)}
fullWidth
sx={{ mb: 2 }}
/>
<Button variant="contained" onClick={handleSubmit}>
Confirm Booking
</Button>
</Box>
);
}
BookingSummary.js
import React from "react";
import { Typography, Box } from "@mui/material";
import { useLocation } from "react-router-dom";
export default function BookingSummary() {
const location = useLocation();
const { name, date } = location.state || {};
return (
<Box sx={{ p: 2 }}>
<Typography variant="h5">Booking Confirmed!</Typography>
<Typography>Name: {name}</Typography>
<Typography>Date: {date?.toString()}</Typography>
</Box>
);
}
Non‑Functional Requirements to Keep in Mind
- Performance: Optimize bundle size with code splitting.
- Accessibility: Use ARIA attributes and keyboard navigation.
- Scalability: Keep components modular and reusable.
- Security: Validate inputs before sending to backend.
- Testability: Add Jest + React Testing Library for unit tests.
AI Tools in Action
- GitHub Copilot: Generate repetitive boilerplate (forms, hooks, tests).
- ChatGPT: Brainstorm component hierarchy and system design.
- AI‑powered linters: Suggest accessibility improvements.
Conclusion: Building Smarter Front‑End Booking Applications with ReactJS and MUI
Building a front‑end booking application with ReactJS and Material‑UI (MUI) is more than just writing components—it’s about planning carefully, meeting non‑functional requirements like performance and accessibility, and adopting the right developer mindset. With over 15 years of experience moving from JavaScript to jQuery, AngularJS, and now React, I’ve seen how front‑end technology continues to evolve, and how adaptability remains the most valuable skill.
By leveraging GitHub Copilot and AI tools, developers can accelerate repetitive tasks, focus on system design, and deliver polished user experiences faster than ever. Whether you’re building a booking system for events, appointments, or resources, combining ReactJS, MUI, and AI‑driven development practices ensures scalability, maintainability, and long‑term success.
For more insights on how AI is transforming software development, check out my other posts on mydaytodo.com/blog.
If you enjoyed this tutorial, you might also like these posts from mydaytodo.com/blog:
- How to Build a Neural Network with Brain.js
- Understanding Genetic Algorithms in Machine Learning
- Building an AI Model Using TensorFlow.js — Step-by-Step Guide
- Bots Trained to Play Like Humans Are More Fun — AI and Gaming
Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this guide on building a ReactJS + MUI booking application, don’t miss my future posts on AI‑driven development, system design, and front‑end best practices.
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