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Developer Quickstart Guide

This guide provides instructions for setting up your development environment to contribute to Gofannon.

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

  • Operating System: Linux, macOS, or WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux).
  • Python: Version 3.10 or higher.
  • Node.js: Version 18 or higher.
  • pnpm: Version 8 or higher (Installation: npm install -g pnpm).
  • Git: For version control.

1. Cloning the Project​

We follow a fork-based workflow.

  1. Fork the repository on GitHub to your own account.

  2. Clone your fork locally:

    git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/gofannon.git
    cd gofannon

  3. Add the upstream remote to keep your fork in sync:

    git remote add upstream https://github.com/the-ai-alliance/gofannon.git

2. Setting Up the Environment​

The project is a monorepo containing a Python backend and a React frontend. You will need to set up both.

Backend (Python)​

  1. Navigate to the user service directory:

    cd webapp/packages/api/user-service

  2. Create a virtual environment:

    python3.10 -m venv venv

  3. Activate the virtual environment:

    • Linux/macOS: 
      source venv/bin/activate
    • Windows (PowerShell): 
      .\venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

  4. Install dependencies:

    pip install -r requirements.txt

Frontend (Node.js/React)​

  1. Navigate to the gofannon/webapp directory:

    cd ../../../../../ # Assuming you were in the api directory

  2. Install dependencies using pnpm:

    pnpm install

3. Running the Application Locally​

The recommended workflow is ./dev-tail.sh from the repo root, which runs the full dev stack — CouchDB, MinIO, the api in docker-compose, and the frontend on the host via vite — and tails the logs in one terminal:

./dev-tail.sh

The API will be at http://localhost:8000, the web UI at http://localhost:3000. Auth uses the dev_stub session-auth provider; pick alice, bob, or site_admin_1 from the picker on first visit. See docs/developers/local-auth.md for the auth fixture details.

Running components individually​

If you want to run only the backend or only the frontend (e.g., to debug one in isolation):

Backend. Ensure your virtual environment is activated, then:

cd webapp/packages/api/user-service
uvicorn main:app --reload

API at http://localhost:8000.

Frontend. Vite is host-based and doesn't need a container:

cd webapp
pnpm --filter webui dev

Web UI at http://localhost:3000.

4. Running Tests​

We strongly encourage running tests locally before opening a Pull Request.

Backend Tests​

From the webapp directory (or root), with your virtual environment from the previous step activated:

# Run backend unit tests
pnpm test:unit:backend

# Or directly from the user-service directory with active venv
cd webapp/packages/api/user-service
python -m pytest tests/unit -v

Frontend Tests​

From the webapp directory:

# Run frontend unit tests
pnpm test:unit:frontend

All Tests​

To run all unit tests:

cd webapp
pnpm test:unit

5. Development Conventions​

To ensure a smooth collaboration process, please adhere to the following conventions:

  • Fork & Branch: Always work on your own fork.
  • Branch Naming:
    • Use the issue number as the prefix if applicable: XXX-short-desc (e.g., 123-fix-login-bug).
    • Alternatively, use feature/ or fix/ prefixes if no issue exists.
  • Commit Signing: Sign your commits using git commit -s to certify the Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO).
  • Testing:
    • Run existing tests to ensure no regressions.
    • Add new tests for any new code or features you implement.
    • Ensure pnpm test:unit passes before submitting a PR.
  • Code Style: Follow the existing coding style in the project.

Thank you for contributing!