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full-stack-fastapi-template/development.md
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Sebastián Ramírez c291285975 📝 Remove obsolete local domain setup (#2428)
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# FastAPI Project - Development
## Local Development
For local development, run PostgreSQL and Mailcatcher with Docker Compose, and run the FastAPI and Vite development servers locally.
Start the supporting services:
```bash
docker compose up -d db mailcatcher
```
Then, from the `backend` directory, install the dependencies and prepare the database:
```bash
uv sync
uv run bash scripts/prestart.sh
```
Start the FastAPI development server:
```bash
uv run fastapi dev
```
In another terminal, from the project root, install the frontend dependencies and start the Vite development server:
```bash
bun install
bun run dev
```
Now you can open these URLs:
Frontend development server: <http://localhost:5173>
Backend API: <http://localhost:8000>
Automatic interactive API documentation with Swagger UI: <http://localhost:8000/docs>
Mailcatcher: <http://localhost:1080>
The frontend development server uses the backend at `http://localhost:8000`, as configured in `frontend/.env`.
### Frontend Served by FastAPI
Build the frontend from the `frontend` directory:
```bash
bun run build
```
The build is written to `backend/app/frontend` and served by FastAPI at <http://localhost:8000>. Rebuild the frontend after making frontend changes.
## Full Stack with Docker Compose
To run the backend and built frontend in Docker Compose:
```bash
docker compose run --rm backend bash scripts/prestart.sh
docker compose watch
```
Now you can open these URLs:
Application, with the frontend and API served by FastAPI: <http://localhost:8000>
Automatic interactive API documentation with Swagger UI: <http://localhost:8000/docs>
Adminer, database web administration: <http://localhost:8080>
Traefik UI, to see how the routes are being handled by the proxy: <http://localhost:8090>
Mailcatcher: <http://localhost:1080>
Stop a locally running FastAPI server before starting the Compose backend because both use port `8000`.
**Note**: The first time you start the stack, it might take a minute for all the services to be ready. To monitor it, use `docker compose logs`, or `docker compose logs backend` for the backend service.
## Mailcatcher
Mailcatcher captures emails sent during local development instead of delivering them. The local backend connects to it at `localhost:1025`, and the Compose backend connects to the `mailcatcher` service. Captured emails are available at <http://localhost:1080>.
## Docker Compose files and env vars
There is a main `compose.yml` file with all the configurations that apply to the whole stack, it is used automatically by `docker compose`.
And there's also a `compose.override.yml` with overrides for development, for example to mount the source code as a volume. It is used automatically by `docker compose` to apply overrides on top of `compose.yml`.
The `compose.deploy.yml` file contains the deployment-specific settings, including HTTPS and automatic certificate handling. It is explicitly combined with `compose.yml` when deploying the application.
The backend reads local settings from the `.env` file. Docker Compose also uses it for variable interpolation and passes the settings each container needs.
After changing variables, make sure you restart the stack:
```bash
docker compose watch
```
## The .env file
The `.env` file contains the shared local defaults, generated keys, passwords, and other configuration. Its hostnames use `localhost` for processes running on your machine. Docker Compose overrides hostnames such as the database and SMTP server with their Compose service names.
Depending on your workflow, you could want to exclude it from Git, for example if your project is public. In that case, you would have to make sure to set up a way for your CI tools to obtain it while building or deploying your project.
One way to do it could be to add each environment variable to your CI/CD system.
## Pre-commits and code linting
we are using a tool called [prek](https://prek.j178.dev/) (modern alternative to [Pre-commit](https://pre-commit.com/)) for code linting and formatting.
When you install it, it runs right before making a commit in git. This way it ensures that the code is consistent and formatted even before it is committed.
You can find a file `.pre-commit-config.yaml` with configurations at the root of the project.
#### Install prek to run automatically
`prek` is already part of the dependencies of the project.
After having the `prek` tool installed and available, you need to "install" it in the local repository, so that it runs automatically before each commit.
Using `uv`, you could do it with (make sure you are inside `backend` folder):
```bash
uv run prek install -f
prek installed at `../.git/hooks/pre-commit`
```
The `-f` flag forces the installation, in case there was already a `pre-commit` hook previously installed.
Now whenever you try to commit, e.g. with:
```bash
git commit
```
...prek will run and check and format the code you are about to commit, and will ask you to add that code (stage it) with git again before committing.
Then you can `git add` the modified/fixed files again and now you can commit.
#### Running prek hooks manually
you can also run `prek` manually on all the files, you can do it using `uv` with:
```bash
uv run prek run --all-files
check for added large files..............................................Passed
check toml...............................................................Passed
check yaml...............................................................Passed
fix end of files.........................................................Passed
trim trailing whitespace.................................................Passed
ruff.....................................................................Passed
ruff-format..............................................................Passed
biome check..............................................................Passed
```
## URLs
The production or staging URLs would use these same paths, but with your own domain.
### Development URLs
Development URLs, for local development.
Application: <http://localhost:8000>
Automatic Interactive Docs (Swagger UI): <http://localhost:8000/docs>
Automatic Alternative Docs (ReDoc): <http://localhost:8000/redoc>
Adminer: <http://localhost:8080>
Traefik UI: <http://localhost:8090>
MailCatcher: <http://localhost:1080>