SchoolCompare frontend and CMS
Next.js App Router with React, TypeScript, CSS Modules, Chart.js, Leaflet and Payload CMS. It serves school search, comparisons, rankings, school/place detail pages and editorial content across England.
Start with the repository overview, architecture and development checks.
Source map
| Path | Purpose |
|---|---|
app/(frontend)/ |
Public root layout, server pages and FastAPI proxy |
app/(payload)/ |
Payload root layout, /admin and /cms-api |
app/robots.ts, app/opengraph-image.tsx, root icons |
Site-wide metadata endpoints |
components/ |
Client views and reusable display components |
components/school/ |
School detail sections |
lib/api.ts, lib/types.ts |
Fetch wrappers and manual school API types |
lib/schoolSections.ts, lib/compareLogic.ts |
Presentation decisions and data preparation |
context/, hooks/ |
Comparison state, suggestion state and responsive behaviour |
collections/, blocks/, migrations/ |
CMS schema and production migrations |
__tests__/ |
Jest and React Testing Library tests |
Do not introduce a shared app/layout.tsx: public pages and Payload have separate
root layouts. Keep root metadata files outside the route groups.
Data and state
Server pages fetch initial data directly from FASTAPI_URL. Browser fetches use
/api by default, forwarded by app/(frontend)/api/[...path]/route.ts.
FASTAPI_URL must include /api. See .env.example for CMS and API settings.
State uses React hooks/context, URL search parameters and localStorage for the comparison basket. SWR is not installed. Maps use dynamic Leaflet wrappers. Revalidation intervals are configured in fetch wrappers and pages; they vary by resource. Backend reloads do not automatically invalidate every Next.js cache.
Commands
npm ci
npm run typecheck
npm test -- --runInBand
npm run build
test:watch and test:coverage are also available. There is no lint script.
A running application needs the backend/data environment described in the
development guide.
After CMS field or editor changes, run npm run generate:importmap. Keep
payload-types.ts generated from the CMS schema rather than editing it by hand.
The build must work without a database connection; avoid module-scope CMS queries
and DB-backed generateStaticParams functions.
See publishing for CMS operations and deployment for staging and production promotion.