How I Structure Real Projects Before Writing Code

Source: Dev.to

Pre‑coding Process

Most developers open VS Code too early. I used to do the same: a client would explain the idea, and within hours I’d be creating Laravel controllers, React components, and database tables. A few months later the project became messy, requirements changed, and I realized the real problem wasn’t my coding skill—it was my thinking structure.

Now I follow a strict pre‑coding process. I don’t write a single line until the project is mentally engineered.

Shifting from Features to Problems

Clients talk in features:

• “I need a dashboard”
• “Add payment system”
• “Make it like this website”

Engineers must think in problems. I ask:

• Who will use this system?
• What decision will this software help them make?
• What pain exists today?

I then write a one‑line statement:

This project helps [user] achieve [goal] by solving [problem].

Entity Modeling

Before tables or APIs, I list entities like a researcher.

Example: E‑commerce Project

• User
• Product
• Order
• Payment
• Shipment

I describe relationships in plain English:

• A User places many Orders.
• An Order contains many Products.
• A Payment belongs to an Order.

This becomes my mental database—long before MySQL appears.

Endpoint Drafting

I don’t start with UI. I start with questions:

• What data will the frontend need?
• Which actions must be possible?
• What should fail securely?

I draft endpoints as contracts, without committing to a framework:

POST /api/orders

This protects me from becoming “framework dependent.”

Flow Diagram

I draw a simple flow:

User → Frontend → API → Database → API → User

For each step I note:

• Validation
• Authentication
• Business rules
• Possible errors

These notes become the future middleware and services.

Non‑functional Requirements

Most tutorials ignore this, but real projects must address:

• Performance
• Security
• Scalability
• Logging
• Backups

I write a small section outlining targets:

• 2‑second response time
• Role‑based access control
• Daily DB backup
• API rate limiting

Final Structure

Only after the mental model is solid do I think about code structure:

• Controllers
• Services
• Repositories
• DTOs
• Tests

Whether using Laravel, Node, or Django, the thinking stays the same.

When I finally write code:

• Endpoints are already known
• Entities are clear
• Validations decided
• Security planned

Coding becomes translation—not confusion.

What Changed for Me

• Fewer rewrites
• Cleaner APIs
• More confident estimates
• Happier clients

I moved from “Let’s start and see” to “Let’s design and then build.”

A real full‑stack developer isn’t defined by the number of frameworks they know; it’s defined by the ability to think before coding.