Enhanced Development Experience

[mheadd]

Enhanced Development Experience - Docker Compose Development Workflow

Summary

Implement enhanced development workflow features for the containerized CouchDB Rules Engine, building upon the basic containerization completed in Phase 1. This phase focuses on developer productivity, hot reload capabilities, and comprehensive documentation.

Background

Phase 1 (Issue #4) successfully implemented basic containerization with:

• ✅ Docker Compose orchestration with production configuration
• ✅ CouchDB and web interface containers with proper networking
• ✅ Automated initialization and CORS configuration
• ✅ Health checks and data persistence

Phase 2 extends this foundation with development-specific optimizations and enhanced documentation.

Proposed Implementation

1. Development-Specific Docker Compose Configuration

Create docker-compose.dev.yml for development workflow:

version: '3.8'

services:
  web-interface:
    build:
      context: ./web
      dockerfile: Dockerfile.dev  # Development-optimized Dockerfile
      target: development
    volumes:
      - ./web:/usr/share/nginx/html  # Hot reload for web changes
      - ./web/nginx.dev.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf
    environment:
      - NODE_ENV=development
      - DEBUG_MODE=true
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
      - "3001:3001"  # Live reload port

  couchdb:
    environment:
      - COUCHDB_LOG_LEVEL=debug
    volumes:
      - ./dev-data:/opt/couchdb/data  # Development data persistence

2. Enhanced Nginx Configuration

Create web/nginx.conf with production optimizations:

• MIME types for JavaScript/CSS
• Gzip compression for better performance
• Cache headers for static assets
• Security headers (CSP, HSTS, etc.)
• Proxy configuration for CouchDB API calls (optional reverse proxy)

3. Hot Reload and Live Development

• Volume mounts for live editing of web interface files
• Development-specific environment variables for debugging
• Automatic restart of services on configuration changes
• Development logging with enhanced verbosity

4. Multi-Environment Support

• Environment selection via Docker Compose profiles or override files
• Configuration templates for different deployment targets
• Environment variable validation and documentation
• Local override support with .env files

Acceptance Criteria

Development Experience

• docker-compose.dev.yml for development with hot reload
• Volume mounts enable live editing without container rebuilds
• Development-specific environment variables and logging
• Easy switching between development and production configurations
• Local .env file support for developer customization

Performance & Optimization

• Optimized Nginx configuration with gzip compression
• Proper MIME types for all static assets
• Cache headers for improved performance
• Security headers in production configuration

Documentation

• Updated README with development workflow instructions
• DEVELOPMENT.md guide for contributors
• Docker setup troubleshooting documentation
• Environment configuration reference

Quality Assurance

• All existing functionality preserved
• Development and production modes tested
• Performance benchmarks documented
• Security headers validated

File Structure Changes

couch-rules-engine/
├── docker-compose.yml              # Production orchestration (existing)
├── docker-compose.dev.yml          # Development orchestration (new)
├── docker-compose.override.yml     # Local overrides (gitignored, new)
├── .env.example                    # Environment template (new)
├── web/
│   ├── Dockerfile                  # Production Dockerfile (existing)
│   ├── Dockerfile.dev              # Development Dockerfile (new)
│   ├── nginx.conf                  # Production nginx config (new)
│   ├── nginx.dev.conf              # Development nginx config (new)
│   └── .dockerignore               # Exclude unnecessary files (new)
├── .dockerignore                   # Project-level exclusions (new)
└── docs/
    ├── DEVELOPMENT.md              # Development workflow guide (new)
    └── DOCKER_SETUP.md             # Docker deployment guide (new)

Implementation Tasks

Phase 2.1: Development Configuration

• Create docker-compose.dev.yml with volume mounts and development settings
• Implement hot reload for web interface changes
• Add development-specific environment variables and logging
• Create local override file support

Phase 2.2: Nginx Optimization

• Create production nginx.conf with optimization settings
• Implement gzip compression and caching
• Add security headers configuration
• Create development nginx configuration

Phase 2.3: Multi-Environment Support

• Environment variable validation and documentation
• Configuration templates for different deployment scenarios
• Local .env file support with .env.example template
• Docker Compose profiles for environment selection
• Phase 2.4: Documentation & Guides

Create comprehensive DEVELOPMENT.md guide

• Update README with development workflow instructions
• Create DOCKER_SETUP.md deployment guide
• Add troubleshooting documentation for common Docker issues\

Related Issues

1. Builds upon Phase 1 basic containerization (Issue Containerize Web Interface and Add Docker Compose Orchestration #4)
2. Prepares foundation for Phase 3 production optimization
3. Complements existing testing infrastructure

Definition of Done

• All acceptance criteria met
• Documentation updated and comprehensive
• Development workflow tested by team members
• Performance optimizations validated
• Security headers properly configured
• All existing functionality preserved