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This guide will help you set up a local development environment for contributing to SnailyCAD.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:
  • Node.js >= 18.16.0
  • pnpm 9.0.4 (recommended package manager)
  • Docker and Docker Compose (for running PostgreSQL)
  • Git (for version control)

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Installation Steps

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1. Fork and Clone the Repository

First, fork the SnailyCAD repository to your GitHub account:
  1. Visit github.com/SnailyCAD/snaily-cadv4
  2. Click the “Fork” button in the top right
  3. Clone your fork locally:
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/snaily-cadv4.git
cd snaily-cadv4

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2. Install Dependencies

SnailyCAD uses pnpm as its package manager. Install all dependencies with: 
pnpm install
This will install dependencies for all apps and packages in the monorepo.

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3. Set Up Environment Variables

Copy the example environment files: 
node scripts/copy-env.mjs --client --api
This creates .env files in both the API and client directories. You’ll need to configure these files with your local database credentials and other settings.

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4. Start the Database

SnailyCAD uses PostgreSQL as its database. Start it using Docker Compose: 
docker compose up -d
This starts a PostgreSQL container in the background.

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5. Generate Prisma Client

Generate the Prisma client and run database migrations: 
pnpm --filter "@snailycad/api" generate
pnpm --filter "@snailycad/api" prisma migrate deploy

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6. Start Development Servers

You can now start both the API and client in development mode: 
pnpm dev
This command:
  • Starts the PostgreSQL database (if not already running)
  • Runs all apps and packages in watch mode with Turbo
  • Hot-reloads on file changes
Alternatively, you can start the API and client separately: 
# Terminal 1 - API
pnpm --filter "@snailycad/api" watch

# Terminal 2 - Client
pnpm --filter "@snailycad/client" dev

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7. Access the Application

Once the development servers are running:

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Common Development Commands

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Build Commands

# Build all packages and apps
pnpm build

# Build specific workspace
pnpm --filter "@snailycad/client" build
pnpm --filter "@snailycad/api" build

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Code Quality

# Run linter
pnpm lint

# Fix linting issues
pnpm lint:fix

# Format code with Prettier
pnpm format

# Type checking
pnpm typecheck

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Database Commands

# Generate Prisma client
pnpm --filter "@snailycad/api" generate

# Create a new migration
pnpm --filter "@snailycad/api" prisma migrate dev --name your-migration-name

# Reset database
pnpm --filter "@snailycad/api" prisma migrate reset

# Open Prisma Studio (database GUI)
pnpm --filter "@snailycad/api" prisma studio

# Format Prisma schema
pnpm --filter "@snailycad/api" format

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Testing

# Run tests
pnpm --filter "@snailycad/api" test
pnpm --filter "@snailycad/client" test

# Run tests in watch mode
pnpm --filter "@snailycad/api" test:watch

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Troubleshooting

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Port Already in Use

If you encounter port conflicts, you can change the ports in your .env files:
  • Client: PORT_CLIENT (default: 3000)
  • API: PORT_API (default: 8080)
  • Database: DB_PORT (default: 5432)

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Database Connection Issues

Ensure Docker is running and the PostgreSQL container is healthy: 
docker ps
You should see a container named snaily-cad-postgres with status “Up”.

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Prisma Generation Errors

If you encounter Prisma errors, try: 
# Clean and regenerate
pnpm --filter "@snailycad/api" prisma generate --force

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Clean Install

If you experience persistent issues, try a clean reinstall: 
# Remove all node_modules and lock files
find . -name "node_modules" -type d -prune -exec rm -rf '{}' +
rm pnpm-lock.yaml

# Reinstall
pnpm install

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Next Steps

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