120 lines
5.4 KiB
Markdown
120 lines
5.4 KiB
Markdown
---
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type: guide
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title: Local Development Workflow
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description: How to run the backend and frontend together in development, including the root dev script, Angular dev-server proxy, and project-local data directory.
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tags: [guide, dev, dev-server, proxy, concurrently, setup, tester]
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timestamp: 2026-07-22T19:54:00Z
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---
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# Overview
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The HIPCTF monorepo ships a single root command — `npm run dev` — that
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boots the NestJS backend and the Angular dev server in parallel, with
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the Angular dev server proxying `/api` and `/uploads` calls to the
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backend on port 3000. All persistent runtime files (SQLite database,
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uploaded icons / attachments / logos) live under the project-local
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`./data/` directory.
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# How to start the full stack (tester steps)
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1. From the repository root, install workspace dependencies once:
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```
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npm ci
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```
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2. Start both servers in parallel:
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```
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npm run dev
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```
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This uses `concurrently` to run:
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* `npm --workspace backend run start:dev` (NestJS watch mode on `http://localhost:3000`)
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* `npm --workspace frontend run start` (Angular dev server on `http://localhost:4200`)
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Process names `backend` and `frontend` are prefixed per output line.
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If either process exits with a non-zero status, the other is killed
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(`--kill-others-on-fail`).
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3. Open the browser:
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* **Frontend (preferred for app work):** `http://localhost:4200/`
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* **Backend (single-port mode, serves built SPA later):** `http://localhost:3000/`
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4. To run them individually during debugging:
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```
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npm run dev:backend
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npm run dev:frontend
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```
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# Project-local data directory
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| Path | Purpose | Backed by env var |
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|-------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|
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| `./data/` | Root runtime data directory (gitignored). | — |
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| `./data/db.sqlite`| SQLite database file (created on first boot). | `DATABASE_PATH` |
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| `./data/uploads/` | Uploaded category icons, challenge files, site logos. | `UPLOAD_DIR` |
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Both defaults are declared in `backend/src/config/env.schema.ts` and
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re-declared as fallbacks in every backend code path that calls
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`ConfigService.get` so direct/unit construction cannot silently revert
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to the legacy absolute paths. Relative paths are resolved with
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`path.resolve` against the process working directory — when launched
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via the root scripts, that is the repository root.
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The legacy absolute defaults (`/data/hipctf/db.sqlite`,
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`/data/hipctf/uploads`) have been removed; set `DATABASE_PATH` and
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`UPLOAD_DIR` explicitly if you need to point at an external location
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(e.g. a mounted volume in production).
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The data directory is created automatically:
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* `DatabaseModule` ensures the parent directory of `DATABASE_PATH`
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exists before connecting.
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* `main.ts`, `UploadsController`, `buildMulter`, and
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`UploadsStaticMiddleware` all `mkdir -p` the upload directory on
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startup.
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* `setup.sh` creates `./data/uploads` before any build so first-boot
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Multer writes never fail.
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# Angular dev-server proxy
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`frontend/proxy.conf.json` is wired into the `serve` target in
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`frontend/angular.json` so relative URLs from the SPA hit the backend
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without CORS prompts:
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| Origin path | Target | Notes |
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|-------------|-------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
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| `/api` | `http://localhost:3000` | All REST controllers + SSE endpoints. `changeOrigin: true`. |
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| `/uploads` | `http://localhost:3000` | Static files served by `UploadsStaticMiddleware`. |
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The proxy is **development-only.** In production (`npm start` /
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`backend/dist/main.js`) the backend serves the built SPA directly and
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no proxy is involved.
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# Root scripts
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| Script | What it does |
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|---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| `npm run dev` | Start backend + frontend together via `concurrently`. |
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| `npm run dev:backend` | Start only the NestJS backend in watch mode. |
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| `npm run dev:frontend` | Start only the Angular dev server. |
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| `npm start` | Run the **production** backend (`node backend/dist/main.js`). |
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| `npm run build` | Build both workspaces (frontend first, then backend). |
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| `npm run start:dev` | Alias for `npm run dev` (kept for backwards compatibility). |
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| `npm test` | Run the full Jest project (backend + frontend). |
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# Expected behavior (tester)
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* `npm run dev` displays interleaved backend and frontend logs, each
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prefixed with the process name and a color.
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* The Angular dev server prints `Application bundle generation complete`
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within a few seconds and the page is reachable at
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`http://localhost:4200/`.
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* Visiting `http://localhost:4200/` triggers
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`GET /api/v1/bootstrap` (proxied to port 3000) and shows the
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appropriate public, login, or bootstrap page.
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* Uploads (e.g. category icons via the admin UI) land under
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`./data/uploads/` and are immediately readable from the dev frontend
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via `/uploads/...` (proxied).
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* Pressing `Ctrl+C` once terminates both processes cleanly.
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# See also
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- [System Overview](/architecture/overview.md)
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- [Database Schema Overview](/database/schema.md)
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- [Uploads Endpoints](/api/uploads.md)
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- [Key Files Index](/architecture/key-files.md)
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