# Development environment set up

>[!NOTE]
> Replace `/development` with the path where your code files will be stored. The default container name is `netalertx` so there might be a conflict with your running containers.

## Development Guidelines

Before starting development, please scan the below development guidelines.

### Priority Order (Highest to Lowest)

1. 🔼 Fixing core bugs that lack workarounds.
2. 🔵 Adding core functionality that unlocks other features (e.g., plugins).
3. 🔵 Refactoring to enable faster development.
4. 🔽 UI improvements (PRs welcome).

### Design Philosophy

Focus on core functionality and integrate with existing tools rather than reinventing the wheel.  
Examples:

- Using **Apprise** for notifications instead of implementing multiple separate gateways.
- Implementing **regex-based validation** instead of one-off validation for each setting.

> [!NOTE]
> UI changes have lower priority, however, PRs are welcome, but **keep them small & focused**.

## Development Environment Set Up

### 1. Download the code:

- `mkdir /development`
- `cd /development && git clone https://github.com/jokob-sk/NetAlertX.git`

### 2. Create a DEV .env_dev file

`touch /development/.env_dev && sudo nano /development/.env_dev`

The file content should be following, with your custom values.

```yaml
#--------------------------------
#NETALERTX
#--------------------------------
TZ=Europe/Berlin
PORT=22222    # make sure this port is unique on your whole network
DEV_LOCATION=/development/NetAlertX
APP_DATA_LOCATION=/volume/docker_appdata
# Make sure your GRAPHQL_PORT setting has a port that is unique on your whole host network
APP_CONF_OVERRIDE={"GRAPHQL_PORT":"22223"} 
# ALWAYS_FRESH_INSTALL=true # uncommenting this will always delete the content of /config and /db dirs on boot to simulate a fresh install
```

### 3. Create /db and /config dirs 

Create a folder `netalertx` in the `APP_DATA_LOCATION` (in this example in `/volume/docker_appdata`) with 2 subfolders `db` and `config`. 

- `mkdir /volume/docker_appdata/netalertx`
- `mkdir /volume/docker_appdata/netalertx/db`
- `mkdir /volume/docker_appdata/netalertx/config`

### 4. Run the container

- `cd /development/NetAlertX &&  sudo docker-compose --env-file ../.env_dev `

You can then modify the python script without restarting/rebuilding the container every time. Additionally, you can trigger a plugin run via the UI:

![image](https://github.com/jokob-sk/NetAlertX/assets/96159884/3cbf2748-03c8-49e7-b801-f38c7755246b)


## Tips

A quick cheat sheet of useful commands. 

### Removing the container and image 

A command to stop, remove the container and the image (replace `netalertx` and `netalertx-netalertx` with the appropriate values)

- `sudo docker container stop netalertx ; sudo docker container rm netalertx ; sudo docker image rm netalertx-netalertx`

### Restart the server backend

Most code changes can be tested without rebuilding the container. When working on the python server backend, you only need to restart the server.

1. You can usually restart the backend via _Maintenance > Logs > Restart_ server

![image](./img/DEV_ENV_SETUP/Maintenance_Logs_Restart_server.png)

2. If above doesn't work, SSH into the container and kill & restart the main script loop 

- `sudo docker exec -it netalertx /bin/bash`
- `pkill -f "python /app/server" && python /app/server & `

3. If none of the above work, restart the docker caontainer. 

- This is usually the last resort as sometimes the Docker engine becomes unresponsive and the whole engine needs to be restarted. 

## Contributing & Pull Requests

### Before submitting a PR, please ensure:

✔ Changes are **backward-compatible** with existing installs.  
✔ No unnecessary changes are made.  
✔ New features are **reusable**, not narrowly scoped.  
✔ Features are implemented via **plugins** if possible.  

### Mandatory Test Cases

- Fresh install (no DB/config).
- Existing DB/config compatibility.
- Notification testing:

    - Email  
    - Apprise (e.g., Telegram)  
    - Webhook (e.g., Discord)  
    - MQTT (e.g., Home Assistant)  

- Updating Settings and their persistence.
- Updating a Device
- Plugin functionality.
- Error log inspection.
