The Memo project incorporates multiple technologies, including Elixir, Node.js, and shell scripts. This diversity could pose a challenge for new team members trying to set up the development environment. To address this and accelerate the development process, we utilize a single Makefile.
This Makefile standardizes our toolchain and orchestrates various aspects of building, running, and exporting data.
Common development tasks
The Makefile provides a set of key commands to streamline common development tasks:
| Command | Description | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
make setup |
Initializes the environment. | Installs Devbox and creates the content directory. |
make lib-setup |
Installs Elixir dependencies. | Runs Hex and Rebar setup, then fetches dependencies. |
make fetch |
Fetches content repositories. | Executes the Elixir fetch process and the git-fetch.sh script. |
make build |
Builds the entire application. | Installs dependencies, exports markdown, and builds the Next.js application. |
make run |
Runs the development server. | Exports markdown, generates indexes, and starts the Next.js development server. |
make duckdb-export |
Exports data to DuckDB. | Removes the old database file and runs the DuckDB export process. |
Project structure
The development environment primarily interacts with these key elements:
content/: This directory holds our markdown files and is ignored in Git.lib/obsidian-compiler/: Contains the Elixir code responsible for processing Obsidian markdown.- Next.js Application: This is the web application that displays our content.
vault.duckdb: The database file used for storing our processed content.
Working with the development environment
To work effectively with the Dwarves Memo system development environment, follow these steps:
- Start a Devbox shell using the
devbox shellcommand. This command automatically runs the necessary initialization hooks. - Make your desired changes to the content or code.
- Use
make runto test your changes locally with the development server. - If you need to create a production-ready build, use
make build. - Whenever you add new content, use
make duckdb-exportto process it into the database.
For typical content development, you will:
- Edit your Markdown content within the
content/directory. - Run
make runto instantly preview your changes in the local development server. - If you are adding new features to the export pipeline, modify the relevant files in the
lib/obsidian-compiler/directory. - For changes to the web interface, work directly with the Next.js application code.
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