cleanup + docs

docs/FRONTEND_DEVELOPMENT.md

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+# 🖼 Frontend development 
+
+This page contains tips for frontend development when extending PiAlert. Guiding principles are:
+
+1. Maintainability
+2. Extendability
+3. Reusability
+4. Placing more functionality into Plugins and enhancing core Plugins functionality
+
+That means that, when writing code, focus on reusing what's available instead of writing quick fixes. Or creating reusable functions, instead of bespoke functionaility. 
+
+## 🔍 Examples
+
+Some examples how to apply the above:
+
+> Example 1
+> 
+> I want to implement a scan fucntion. Options would be:
+>
+> 1. To add a manual scan functionality to the `deviceDetails.php` page. 
+> 2. To create a separate page that handles the execution of the scan.
+> 3. To create a configurable Plugin.
+>
+> From the above, number 3 would be the most appropriate solution. Then followed by number 2. Number 1 would be approved only in special circumstances.
+
+> Example 2
+>
+> I want to change the behavior of the application. Options to implement this could be:
+>
+> 1. Hard-code the changes in the code.
+> 2. Implement the changes and add settings to influence the behavior in the `initialize.py` file so the user can adjust these.
+> 3. Implement the changes and add settings via a setting-only plugin.
+> 4. Implement the changes in a way so the behavior can be toggled on each plugin so the core capabilities of Plugins get extended.
+> 
+> From the above, number 4 would be the most appropriate solution. Then followed by number 3. Number 1 or 2 would be approved only in special circumstances.
+
+## 💡 Frontend tips 
+
+Some useful frontend JavaScript functions:
+
+- `getDeviceDataByMacAddress(macAddress, devicesColumn)` - method to retrieve any device data (database column) based on MAC address in the frontend 
+- `getString(string stringKey)` - method to retrieve translated strings in the frontend 
+- `getSetting(string stringKey)` - method to retrieve settings in the frontend 
+
+
+Check the [pialert_common.js](https://github.com/jokob-sk/Pi.Alert/blob/main-2023-06-10/front/js/pialert_common.js) file for more frontend function.

docs/README.md

@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ There is also an in-app Help / FAQ section that should be answering frequently a
 - [Plugin system details and how to develop your own](/front/plugins/README.md)
 - [Settings system](/docs/SETTINGS_SYSTEM.md)
 - [New Version notifications](/docs/VERSIONS.md)
+- [Frontend development tips](/docs/FRONTEND_DEVELOPMENT.md)
 
 Feel free to suggest or submit new docs via a PR.