AIPowered FrontEnd Development: Extract Website Elements with Ease

Discover a revolutionary approach to frontend development using AI! This article will guide you through leveraging AI to extract code for any element from any website, whether it's Apple, Macy's, or X (formerly Twitter). Learn how to quickly implement desired UI elements into your own projects.

The New Age of FrontEnd Development

Traditional frontend development methods are being rapidly superseded by AIdriven techniques. The tools and strategies discussed here were virtually impossible just a few years ago, marking a significant shift in how we approach building user interfaces. Content created before 2022, while valuable for fundamentals, doesn't reflect the cuttingedge approaches now available.

StepbyStep Guide to Extracting UI Elements

Here's a breakdown of the strategy:

Step 1: Find an Element You Like

Browse websites and identify a UI element that you want to incorporate into your own project. For example, let's say you admire a particular section on Stripe's website.

Step 2: Take a Screenshot

Capture a screenshot of the specific UI element you want to extract. On a Mac, you can use the command Shift 4 shortcut.

Step 3: Create a Component File

In your React (or other framework) project, create a new component file (e.g., Carousel.js) and its corresponding CSS file (e.g., Carousel.css).

Step 4: Prepare a Placeholder Image

If the UI element contains images, create a placeholder image (e.g., a pancake image) that AI can use as a substitute during code generation. This is crucial. Place this image in an images folder within your project.

Step 5: Engage with ChatGPT

Head over to ChatGPT (either version 4.0 or 3.5). This strategy also theoretically works with Claude and Gemini. Attach the screenshot of the UI element you captured. Write a prompt similar to this:

"I like this element and want to add it to my app.js. Give me the code for this in the file Carousel.js and Carousel.css. Here is the relevant code for wherever we're going to import this (app.js code provided). Output the entire code for Carousel and use this [placeholder image name] as the placeholder image wherever needed."

Tip: Ask for the entire file to prevent ChatGPT from providing code snippets.

Step 6: Copy and Paste the Code

Copy the generated JavaScript code into your Carousel.js file and the CSS code into your Carousel.css file. Remember to import and render the component in your app.js file.

Step 7: Customize and Refine

The AIgenerated code provides a solid foundation. You can now customize the code to match your specific needs. Replace the placeholder images with the correct images. Adjust the text content, colors, and styling as desired.

Improving the AIGenerated Code

You can further refine the generated code by providing specific instructions to ChatGPT. For example, if you want to change the alignment of text or highlight certain words with a specific color, provide the relevant code and instructions along with the same screenshot.

Example: "Looking at this again, we want to make sure some words are in a green Hue like it is in a purple Hue. Also, for this part [paste relevant code], I want this text to be left aligned."

Important: Always ask for the entire file when requesting modifications.

RealWorld Application

This AIpowered approach allows you to quickly prototype and build UI elements from various websites. The beauty of this is that this all can be done with little to no coding knowledge: copy and paste, copy and paste, and proceed.

Further Learning

For a comprehensive guide on this strategy, check out this indepth video tutorial [Link to the 3hour video]. This tutorial demonstrates how to build a complete website using AIassisted frontend development.