Reactive-Resume/docs/contributing/development.mdx

---
title: "Development Setup"
description: "Set up a local development environment for Reactive Resume"
---

<Info>
  **Prerequisites**:
  - [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) v20 or higher
  - [pnpm](https://pnpm.io/) v10.28.0 or higher (package manager)
  - [Docker](https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/) and Docker Compose
  - [Git](https://git-scm.com/)
</Info>

This guide walks you through setting up Reactive Resume for local development. Whether you're contributing to the project or customizing it for your needs, these steps will get you up and running.

---

## Setting Up Your Development Environment

<Steps>
  <Step title="Clone the Repository">
    ```bash
    git clone https://github.com/amruthpillai/reactive-resume.git
    cd Reactive-Resume
    ```
  </Step>
  
  <Step title="Install Dependencies">
    This project uses [pnpm](https://pnpm.io/) as its package manager for its speed and efficiency.
    
    ```bash
    # Install pnpm if you haven't already
    npm install -g pnpm
    
    # Install project dependencies
    pnpm install
    ```
  </Step>
  
  <Step title="Start Infrastructure Services">
    Start the required services using the development-specific Docker Compose file:
    
    ```bash
    docker compose -f compose.dev.yml up -d
    ```
    
    This starts the following infrastructure services:
    - **PostgreSQL** — Database (port 5432)
    - **SeaweedFS** — S3-compatible storage (port 8333)
    - **Printer** — PDF and screenshot generation service (port 4000)
    - **Mailpit** — Email testing server (SMTP on port 1025, UI on port 8025)
    
    <Tip>
      Use `compose.dev.yml` instead of `compose.yml` for local development. The development file only includes infrastructure services with ports exposed to your host machine, while the main `compose.yml` includes the full application stack intended for production deployments.
    </Tip>
    
    <Tip>
      Wait for all services to be healthy before proceeding. Check with `docker compose -f compose.dev.yml ps`.
    </Tip>
  </Step>
  
  <Step title="Configure Environment Variables">
    Create a `.env` file in the project root:
    
    ```bash
    # Server
    APP_URL=http://localhost:3000

    # Printer (required for local development)
    PRINTER_APP_URL=http://host.docker.internal:3000
    PRINTER_ENDPOINT=ws://localhost:4000?token=1234567890

    # Database
    DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/postgres

    # Authentication
    AUTH_SECRET=development-secret-change-in-production

    # Storage (SeaweedFS)
    S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID=seaweedfs
    S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=seaweedfs
    S3_ENDPOINT=http://localhost:8333
    S3_BUCKET=reactive-resume
    S3_FORCE_PATH_STYLE=true

    # Email (Mailpit for local development)
    SMTP_HOST=localhost
    SMTP_PORT=1025
    ```
    
    <Note>
      **PDF Generation Note**: The `PRINTER_APP_URL` variable is required when running Reactive Resume outside of Docker while the printer service is running inside Docker (which is the case when using `compose.dev.yml`). The printer needs to reach your local app to render resumes for PDF generation. Since Docker containers cannot access `localhost` on your host machine directly, you must set `PRINTER_APP_URL` to `http://host.docker.internal:3000`. This special hostname allows Docker containers to communicate with services running on your host machine.
    </Note>
    
    <Tip>
      **Email Testing**: The development stack includes [Mailpit](https://mailpit.axllent.org/), an email testing tool. All emails sent by the application will be captured and viewable at [http://localhost:8025](http://localhost:8025). No emails will actually be sent to real addresses during development.
    </Tip>
  </Step>
  
  <Step title="Run Database Migrations">
    Apply the database schema:
    
    ```bash
    pnpm run db:migrate
    ```
  </Step>
  
  <Step title="Start the Development Server">
    ```bash
    pnpm run dev
    ```
    
    Your local Reactive Resume instance will be available at [http://localhost:3000](http://localhost:3000).
  </Step>
</Steps>

---

## Available Scripts

Here are the most commonly used scripts during development:

### Development

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `pnpm run dev` | Start the development server with hot reload |
| `pnpm run build` | Build the application for production |
| `pnpm run start` | Start the production server |
| `pnpm run lint` | Run Biome linter and formatter |
| `pnpm run typecheck` | Run TypeScript type checking |

### Database

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `pnpm run db:generate` | Generate migration files from schema changes |
| `pnpm run db:migrate` | Apply pending migrations |
| `pnpm run db:studio` | Open Drizzle Studio (database GUI) |

### Internationalization

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `pnpm run lingui:extract` | Extract translatable strings from code |

### Documentation

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `pnpm run docs:dev` | Start the Mintlify docs development server |

---

## Understanding the Project Structure

Understanding the project structure will help you navigate the codebase:

```
reactive-resume/
├── src/
│   ├── components/         # Reusable React components
│   │   ├── ui/             # Base UI components (Button, Card, etc.)
│   │   ├── resume/         # Resume-specific components
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── dialogs/            # Modal dialogs
│   ├── hooks/              # Custom React hooks
│   ├── integrations/       # Third-party integrations
│   │   ├── auth/           # Better Auth integration
│   │   ├── drizzle/        # Database schema & utilities
│   │   └── orpc/           # API routes & services
│   ├── routes/             # File-based routing (TanStack Router)
│   │   ├── builder/        # Resume builder pages
│   │   ├── dashboard/      # User dashboard
│   │   ├── auth/           # Authentication pages
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── schema/             # Zod schemas for validation
│   ├── utils/              # Utility functions
│   └── styles/             # Global CSS styles
├── public/                 # Static assets
├── locales/                # Translation files (.po format)
├── migrations/             # Database migrations
├── docs/                   # Mintlify documentation
└── data/                   # Local data (fonts, uploads)
```

---

## Working with the Database

### Viewing the Database

Use Drizzle Studio to explore and manage your database:

```bash
pnpm run db:studio
```

This opens a web-based GUI at [https://local.drizzle.studio](https://local.drizzle.studio).

### Making Schema Changes

1. Edit the schema in `src/integrations/drizzle/schema.ts`
2. Generate a migration:
   ```bash
   pnpm run db:generate
   ```
3. Apply the migration:
   ```bash
   pnpm run db:migrate
   ```

<Warning>
  Always review generated migrations before applying them, especially when working with existing data.
</Warning>

---

## Working with Translations

Reactive Resume uses [Lingui](https://lingui.dev/) for internationalization.

### Adding Translatable Text

Use the `t` macro for strings or `<Trans>` component for JSX:

```tsx
import { t } from "@lingui/core/macro";
import { Trans } from "@lingui/react/macro";

// For plain strings
const message = t`Hello, World!`;

// For JSX content
<Trans>Welcome to Reactive Resume</Trans>
```

### Extracting Translations

After adding new translatable text, extract them to the locale files:

```bash
pnpm run lingui:extract
```

Translation files are located in the `locales/` directory in `.po` format.

---

## Code Quality

### Linting & Formatting

Uses [Biome](https://biomejs.dev/) for linting and formatting:

```bash
# Check and auto-fix issues
pnpm run lint
```

### Type Checking

Run TypeScript type checking:

```bash
pnpm run typecheck
```

<Tip>
  Configure your IDE to use Biome for automatic formatting on save. For VS Code, install the [Biome extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=biomejs.biome).
</Tip>

---

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Port 3000 is already in use">
    Another process is using port 3000. Either stop that process or start the dev server on a different port:
    
    ```bash
    PORT=3001 pnpm run dev
    ```
  </Accordion>
  
  <Accordion title="Database connection refused">
    Ensure Docker containers are running:
    
    ```bash
    docker compose -f compose.dev.yml ps
    docker compose -f compose.dev.yml up -d
    ```
    
    Check that PostgreSQL is healthy and accessible on port 5432.
  </Accordion>
  
  <Accordion title="S3/Storage errors">
    Verify SeaweedFS is running and the bucket exists:
    
    ```bash
    docker compose -f compose.dev.yml logs seaweedfs
    docker compose -f compose.dev.yml logs seaweedfs_create_bucket
    ```
    
    If the bucket wasn't created, restart the bucket creation service:
    
    ```bash
    docker compose -f compose.dev.yml restart seaweedfs_create_bucket
    ```
  </Accordion>
  
  <Accordion title="Type errors after pulling changes">
    The route tree may need regeneration. Run the dev server which auto-generates routes:
    
    ```bash
    pnpm run dev
    ```
    
    Or run type checking to see specific errors:
    
    ```bash
    pnpm run typecheck
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

---

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card
    title="Project Architecture"
    icon="folder-open"
    href="/contributing/architecture"
  >
    Deep dive into the project architecture and codebase structure.
  </Card>
  <Card
    title="GitHub Repository"
    icon="github"
    href="https://github.com/amruthpillai/reactive-resume"
  >
    View the source code and contribute to the project.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>