Amir Bettir says he built Wildform, an installable wildlife-archive web app with 69 animal species. In his account, the hardest lessons were not about adding another feature: broken image references, a deployment building the wrong commit, and a light-mode design that needed more than quick color overrides all got in the way. His retrospective, published on DEV Community on October 3, 2026, is a useful look at the small decisions that can complicate a first ambitious web project.
What Wildform was meant to do
Bettir describes Wildform as a live, installable Progressive Web App (PWA) built around an interactive wildlife archive. Visitors can filter species by Land, Ocean, Air, and Wetlands, then open profiles covering diet, lifespan, size, conservation status, and a behavioral field observation. The project also includes a quiz, a magazine-style field-notes article, scroll-driven visuals, dark and light modes, and offline support.
Those features and the count of 69 species are the author’s descriptions; they are not an independent audit of the app or its content. The account does not establish how the species information was sourced or whether conservation-status entries were verified.
The stack—and a content decision that became awkward
Bettir reports using React 19 and Vite, Tailwind CSS 4, Vercel for deployment, and vite-plugin-pwa for PWA support. He describes Wildform as a static site, with no backend or database. These are the versions and architecture he listed in his October 2026 account, not a check of current releases.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
- Convert USB-A Ports to USB-C: Designed to connect USB-C earphones, cables, flash drives, card readers, and other USB-C accessories to standard USB-A ports. Plug-and-play with no drivers or software required.
- Aluminum Alloy Housing: Built with a sturdy aluminum alloy shell that aids in heat dissipation and protects against daily wear and scratches. Designed to maintain a stable and secure connection.
- Compact & Travel-Friendly: The ultra-compact design allows the adapter to stay plugged into your device without blocking adjacent ports or adding bulk, reducing wear and tear on your original USB ports.
- 12-Month Warranty: Backed by a 12-month manufacturer warranty for peace of mind. Designed to meet strict quality control standards for reliable everyday performance.
He says he kept all 69 species entries in App.tsx. As the archive grew, editing that single file became cumbersome. He would instead put the species content in a separate JSON file, keeping repeated data apart from the components that render it. That would not change the app’s static-site architecture; it would make the content easier to manage.
Three things that went wrong
1. The image files did not match the paths
Bettir says images he saved from the internet were WebP files, while his code pointed to JPG paths. The mismatch produced broken images. He reports that renaming the files to use a .jpg extension made the visible problem go away, but changing an extension alone does not convert an image’s underlying format. When similar assets fail to load, check both the exact filename and the actual file format rather than assuming they are interchangeable.
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
- Quick Data Transfers: Accelerate your productivity with rapid data transfers using a high-speed 5Gbps USB 3.0 port and two 480Mbps USB 2.0 ports.
- 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
2. Vercel built a different commit
When deployments failed, Bettir says he initially looked for a problem in the code he had just changed. The real snag, as he describes it, was that Vercel was building an older commit from another branch; his fix had not been merged into main. In that situation, the deployed site can look as if it is ignoring a fix because that fix is not in the source revision being built.
His practical advice was: “When Vercel fails, always check which commit it’s building. The error is often in the wrong place.” Before debugging an apparently unchanged deployment, inspect the build’s commit and branch, then confirm that the fix is included there.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
3. Light mode needed its own design
Bettir says he spent time writing color overrides before recognizing that Wildform’s design was already dark. The dark presentation was the starting point; light mode was the additional experience that needed deliberate design. A quick inversion or a few overrides may not account for how text, backgrounds, and visual emphasis work together in the alternate theme.
What he would do differently next time
Separate repeated content earlier
For a collection with dozens of similar records, Bettir would move species content out of App.tsx and into JSON from the beginning. His reason is practical: changing entries in one long component file had become difficult to manage.
Rank #4
- Dual Converters, Infinite Potential：Includes 2× USB C male to USB A female adapters and 2× USB A male to USB C female adapters. Perfect for a wide range of uses—tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, expand USB ports on macbook, and more. Two different converters for all your daily needs
- Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
- Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
- Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
Plan for the PWA before the end
He would configure the PWA earlier instead of adding it late. In his account, offline support and installability were part of what Wildform was meant to be, so treating them as an afterthought meant fitting that work into an already-developed project.
Check the experience on a real phone early
Bettir says small-screen problems—including tiny text and cramped layouts—took time to discover. He would test on a real phone earlier rather than relying on a desktop view to reveal how the interface behaves at mobile sizes.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
A practical debugging order for a similar project
These are workflow lessons drawn from Bettir’s account, not results from a controlled comparison. Applied to a similar build, they suggest checking the source of a failure before rewriting working code:
- For a missing image: verify the referenced path, capitalization, extension, and actual file format.
- For a deployment that does not reflect a fix: check the branch and commit the hosting platform is building, and confirm the fix is present in that revision.
- For a second visual theme: design and review it as a distinct presentation rather than assuming a handful of overrides will make it coherent.
- As the content collection grows: consider separating repeated records from the component code if inline editing becomes unwieldy.
- Before calling the layout finished: review it on a real phone so that text size and spacing issues appear while changes are still easy to make.
What the account does—and does not—establish
Bettir’s retrospective is a first-person report about building Wildform. It does not independently verify the app’s features, current availability, accessibility, performance, species-data licensing, or the accuracy of its conservation information. The 69-species figure is the count he reports for his project, not a biodiversity statistic.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
