Getting Started

This document will guide you through setting up the project on your local machine, from cloning the repository to running the project locally. Whether you're a committee member or an open-source contributor, you'll find all the necessary steps to get started below.

Setup

Cloning the Repository

For Committee Members

Clone the repository using the following command:

git clone https://github.com/icssc/peterportal-client

Navigate into the cloned repository:
```
cd peterportal-client
```

For Open Source Contributors

Fork the project on GitHub by clicking the fork button in the top right, above the "About" section.
Clone your forked repository to your local machine using the following command (replace your username with your GitHub username):
```
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/peterportal-client
```
Navigate into the cloned repository:
```
cd peterportal-client
```

Installing Dependencies

Ensure you have Node.js version 18 or 20 LTS installed. If not, consider using nvm for version management.
Install all node dependencies by running:
```
npm install
```

Setting up Environment Variables

Inside the api directory, rename the .env.example file to .env
Add additional variables as needed for features requiring authentication or database access.

Switching Branches

Before starting your work, switch to a new branch with a relevant name to your task:

git checkout -b [branch-name]

Commands

Development

To facilitate the development process, follow these steps:

Navigate to the project's root directory in your terminal.
Run the development servers for both the backend and frontend:
```
npm run dev
```
This command starts the backend Express server and the frontend Vite dev server. Visit the link printed in the console by Vite to view the application.

Alternatively, you can run the backend and frontend separately by navigating to their respective directories and running npm run dev in separate terminal windows.

Note: Some steps, such as setting up IAM credentials or accessing certain environment variables, might be restricted to internal contributors. If you're an external contributor, ensure you have the necessary permissions or discuss with a project lead.

Additional Information

For more detailed instructions on contributing to the project, including how to pick issues and submit pull requests, please refer to the Open Source Contribution Guide section of the project repository.

Overview