Backend Development Guide

Welcome to the Backend Development Guide for CRADLE. This guide is tailored for backend developers working on our Django-powered API. It provides insights into the projectect structure and architecture of the CRADLE backend, and it explains how to set up and run the application locally.

Getting Started

Follow these steps to get the backend up and running:

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/prodaft/cradle.git
   cd cradle/backend
   git submodule update --init --recursive

2. Database Setup Create the PostgreSQL database:

   psql -U [your-postgres-username]
   CREATE DATABASE cradledb;

3. Redis Setup Ensure Redis is installed and running:

   # On Ubuntu:
   sudo apt install redis-server
   sudo systemctl start redis

4. Configure Environment Update your environment settings in cradle/settings.py to match your local setup. For example:

   DATABASES = {
       'default': {
           'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.postgresql',
           'NAME': 'cradledb',
           'USER': '[your_user]',
           'PASSWORD': '[your_password]',
           'HOST': 'localhost',
           'PORT': '5432',
       }
   }
   
   CELERY_BROKER_URL = 'redis://localhost:6379/0'

5. Install Dependencies Install dependencies using Pipenv:

   pip install pipenv
   pipenv install

6. Run Migrations Apply database migrations:

   pipenv run python manage.py migrate

7. Start Services Launch the Django development server:

   pipenv run python manage.py runserver

   In a separate terminal, start the Celery worker:

   pipenv run celery -A cradle worker -Q email,notes,publish,import -l INFO

Common Commands

# Run tests
pipenv run python manage.py test

# Create new migration
pipenv run python manage.py makemigrations

# Generate API documentation
cd docs && make html

# Monitor Celery tasks with Flower
pipenv run celery -A cradle flower

Troubleshooting

Database Connection Issues

• Ensure PostgreSQL is running.
• Verify the credentials in settings.py match your local configuration.

Celery Task Issues

• Confirm Redis is running.
• Ensure the Celery worker is started.
• Use Flower to monitor task queues.

Topics Covered

This guide includes detailed sections on:

Happy coding and thank you for contributing to the CRADLE backend!