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Development Overview

Welcome to the My Dashboard development guide! This section provides comprehensive information for developers contributing to the project.

🚀 Quick Start for Developers​

Prerequisites​

  • Node.js >= 18.0.0
  • npm (comes with Node.js)
  • Git for version control

Initial Setup​

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jayc13/my-dashboard.git
cd my-dashboard

Development Workflow​

  1. Create a branch following naming conventions
  2. Make changes following coding standards
  3. Write tests for new functionality
  4. Commit changes using conventional commits
  5. Create a PR following the PR guide
  6. Review process and merge

📚 Development Documentation​

🎯 Standards & Guidelines​

🔧 Tools & Automation​

  • Git Hooks - Automated code quality checks and validation
  • CI/CD Pipeline - GitHub Actions workflows and automation

🏗️ Project Structure​

🛠️ Development Environment​

Environment Setup​

Required Environment Variables:

# Server (.env)
API_SECURITY_KEY=your-api-key-here
CYPRESS_API_KEY=your-cypress-key
GITHUB_TOKEN=your-github-token

# Client (.env.local)
VITE_API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:3000

🎯 Code Quality Standards​

Automated Checks​

  • ESLint: Code linting and style enforcement
  • TypeScript: Type checking and compilation
  • Prettier: Code formatting (via ESLint integration)
  • Commitlint: Commit message validation
  • Husky: Git hooks for pre-commit/pre-push validation

Manual Review Process​

  • Code Review: All changes require peer review
  • Testing: New features must include tests
  • Documentation: Update docs for API changes
  • Security: Security implications must be considered

🔄 Development Workflow​

1. Planning Phase​

  • Issue Creation: Create GitHub issue for new features/bugs
  • Discussion: Discuss approach and implementation details
  • Assignment: Assign issue to developer

2. Development Phase​

  • Branch Creation: Create feature branch from main
  • Implementation: Write code following standards
  • Testing: Add comprehensive tests
  • Documentation: Update relevant documentation

3. Review Phase​

  • Self Review: Review your own changes first
  • PR Creation: Create pull request with detailed description
  • Peer Review: Get code review from team members
  • Iteration: Address feedback and make improvements

4. Integration Phase​

  • CI Validation: Ensure all automated checks pass
  • Final Review: Get final approval from code owners
  • Merge: Merge to main branch using appropriate strategy
  • Deployment: Changes deployed automatically or manually

🚨 Common Development Tasks​

Adding a New API Endpoint​

  1. Define Route: Add route in appropriate router file
  2. Create Controller: Implement request handler logic with proper error handling
  3. Add Service: Business logic in service layer
  4. Add Validation: Use validation utilities for input validation
  5. Update Types: Add TypeScript interfaces
  6. Write Tests: Unit and integration tests
  7. Update Docs: Add to OpenAPI specification

Adding a New React Component​

  1. Create Component: Follow component structure conventions
  2. Add Styling: Use consistent styling approach
  3. Write Tests: Component and integration tests
  4. Update Types: TypeScript interfaces and props
  5. Add Stories: Storybook stories (if applicable)
  6. Document Usage: Component documentation

Database Schema Changes​

  1. Create Migration: Add migration script
  2. Update Models: Modify TypeScript interfaces
  3. Test Migration: Verify forward and backward compatibility
  4. Update Seeds: Modify test data if needed
  5. Document Changes: Update schema documentation

🐛 Debugging & Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

Build Failures:

  • Check Node.js version compatibility
  • Clear node_modules and reinstall: rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json && npm install
  • Verify TypeScript configuration

Test Failures:

  • Run tests locally: npm test
  • Check test environment setup
  • Verify mock data and fixtures

Git Hook Failures:

  • Check commit message format
  • Run linting manually: npm run lint
  • Fix code style issues: npm run lint:fix

📈 Performance Considerations​

Frontend Performance​

  • Bundle Size: Monitor and optimize bundle size
  • Code Splitting: Use dynamic imports for large components
  • Caching: Implement proper caching strategies
  • Lazy Loading: Load components and data on demand

Backend Performance​

  • Database Queries: Optimize database queries and indexing
  • Caching: Implement Redis or in-memory caching
  • API Response Times: Monitor and optimize endpoint performance
  • Memory Usage: Profile and optimize memory consumption

🔐 Security Guidelines​

Code Security​

  • Input Validation: Validate all user inputs using validation utilities
  • Input Sanitization: Sanitize strings to prevent injection attacks
  • SQL Injection: Use parameterized queries
  • XSS Prevention: Sanitize output and use CSP headers
  • Authentication: Implement proper authentication and authorization
  • Secrets Management: Never commit secrets to version control

Development Security​

  • Dependency Scanning: Regularly update and scan dependencies
  • Code Review: Security-focused code reviews
  • Environment Separation: Keep development and production environments separate
  • Access Control: Limit access to sensitive resources

This development guide provides the foundation for contributing to My Dashboard. For specific topics, refer to the detailed guides in the following sections.