Development Setup - PFP Checker

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

Required Software

Rust 1.86 or newer: Install via rustup

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

SQLite: Database engine for local development
- macOS: brew install sqlite
- Ubuntu/Debian: apt-get install sqlite3 libsqlite3-dev
- Windows: Download from sqlite.org
Git: Version control system

Required Accounts & Keys

Discord Bot Token: Create a bot at the Discord Developer Portal
ImgBB API Key: Get a free API key at ImgBB

ImgBB is used to host profile picture and server icon images for historical tracking.

Installation Steps

Follow these steps to set up your development environment:

Install SQLx CLI

The SQLx command-line interface is required for database migrations:

cargo install sqlx-cli --no-default-features --features sqlite

This installs the SQLx CLI with SQLite support only.

Clone the repository

Clone your fork of the repository (or the main repository):

git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/pfp-checker.git
cd pfp-checker

Replace YOUR-USERNAME with your GitHub username if you’ve forked the repository.

Create configuration file

Copy the example environment file:

cp .env.example .env

Edit the .env file with your credentials:

.env

DISCORD_TOKEN=your_discord_bot_token_here
IMGBB_KEY=your_imgbb_api_key_here
DATABASE_URL=sqlite:database.sqlite

Never commit your .env file to version control. It contains sensitive credentials.

Set up the database

Initialize the SQLite database and run all migrations:

sqlx database setup --database-url sqlite:database.sqlite

This command will:

Create the database.sqlite file if it doesn’t exist
Run all migration files from the migrations/ directory
Set up the complete schema with all tables and indexes

If you need to reset the database later, use sqlx database reset --database-url sqlite:database.sqlite

Build the project

Compile the project in debug mode:

cargo build

This downloads all dependencies and compiles the bot. The first build may take several minutes.For a release build with optimizations:

cargo build --release

Run the tests

Verify your setup by running the test suite:

cargo test

All tests should pass. If any fail, check your configuration and database setup.

Running the Bot Locally

Once your environment is set up, you can run the bot:

Development Mode

Run the bot with debug information and faster compilation:

cargo run

You should see output like:

BotName is connected!
Updated Global Application Commands

Release Mode

For production-like testing with optimizations:

cargo run --release

Running with Logs

To see detailed logs, set the RUST_LOG environment variable:

RUST_LOG=debug cargo run

Log levels:

error: Only errors
warn: Warnings and errors
info: Informational messages (default)
debug: Detailed debugging information
trace: Very detailed trace information

Testing Your Changes

Running Tests

Run the complete test suite:

cargo test

Run specific tests:

cargo test test_name

Run tests with output:

cargo test -- --nocapture

Code Formatting

Format your code according to Rust standards:

cargo fmt

Check formatting without making changes:

cargo fmt -- --check

Linting with Clippy

Run Clippy to catch common mistakes and improve code quality:

cargo clippy

For more strict checking:

cargo clippy -- -D warnings

Discord Bot Setup

To test the bot in Discord:

Create a Discord application

Go to the Discord Developer Portal
Click “New Application”
Give your bot a name and create it

Create a bot user

In your application, go to the “Bot” section
Click “Add Bot”
Copy the bot token and add it to your .env file

Keep your bot token secret! Reset it immediately if it’s ever exposed.

Configure bot permissions

Your bot needs these permissions:

Read Messages/View Channels
Send Messages
Use Slash Commands

In the “OAuth2” > “URL Generator” section:

Select scopes: bot, applications.commands
Select permissions: the ones listed above
Copy the generated URL

Invite the bot to a test server

Use the URL from the previous step
Select a Discord server where you have admin permissions
Authorize the bot

Create a private test server for development to avoid disrupting real users.

Database Management

Viewing the Database

Use the SQLite CLI to inspect your database:

sqlite3 database.sqlite

Useful SQLite commands:

-- List all tables
.tables

-- Show table schema
.schema User

-- Query data
SELECT * FROM User;

-- Exit SQLite
.exit

Reset Database

To start fresh with a clean database:

sqlx database reset --database-url sqlite:database.sqlite

This will delete all data! Use with caution.

Applying New Migrations

When new migrations are added:

sqlx migrate run --database-url sqlite:database.sqlite

Common Issues

SQLx compile-time verification fails

SQLx verifies queries at compile time. If migrations haven’t been run, compilation will fail.Solution:

sqlx database setup --database-url sqlite:database.sqlite

Or set offline mode:

export SQLX_OFFLINE=true

Bot doesn't respond to commands

Common causes:

Bot token is incorrect
Bot lacks necessary permissions
Commands haven’t been registered (wait ~1 minute after startup)
Bot is not in the server

Solution: Check logs for error messages and verify bot permissions.

Database connection errors

If you see connection errors:Solution:

Verify DATABASE_URL in .env is correct
Ensure database file exists and is readable
Check file permissions on database.sqlite

Build fails with dependency errors

If dependencies fail to download or compile:Solution:

# Update Rust
rustup update

# Clean build cache
cargo clean

# Rebuild
cargo build

Development Tools

Recommended VS Code Extensions

rust-analyzer: Rust language support with excellent IDE features
Even Better TOML: Better support for Cargo.toml
CodeLLDB: Debugging support for Rust
crates: Manage Cargo.toml dependencies

Alternative IDEs

IntelliJ IDEA / CLion: With Rust plugin
Vim/Neovim: With rust-analyzer via LSP
Emacs: With rust-mode and rust-analyzer

Next Steps

Now that your development environment is set up:

Architecture Guide

Learn how the codebase is structured

Database Schema

Understand the database design

Contributing Guidelines

Review contribution workflow

Commands Reference

See all available bot commands

Contributing

Reference

​Prerequisites

​Required Software

​Required Accounts & Keys

​Installation Steps

​Running the Bot Locally

​Development Mode

​Release Mode

​Running with Logs

​Testing Your Changes

​Running Tests

​Code Formatting

​Linting with Clippy

​Discord Bot Setup

​Database Management

​Viewing the Database

​Reset Database

​Applying New Migrations

​Common Issues

​Development Tools

​Recommended VS Code Extensions

​Alternative IDEs

​Next Steps

Architecture Guide

Database Schema

Contributing Guidelines

Commands Reference

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Prerequisites

Required Software

Required Accounts & Keys

Installation Steps

Running the Bot Locally

Development Mode

Release Mode

Running with Logs

Testing Your Changes

Running Tests

Code Formatting

Linting with Clippy

Discord Bot Setup

Database Management

Viewing the Database

Reset Database

Applying New Migrations

Common Issues

Development Tools

Recommended VS Code Extensions

Alternative IDEs

Next Steps