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Development Guide

This guide covers setting up a local development environment for contributing to Databasement.

Requirements​

  • PHP 8.4+
  • Composer
  • Node.js 20+ & npm
  • Docker & Docker Compose

Quick Start​

1. Clone and Setup​

git clone https://github.com/David-Crty/databasement.git
cd databasement
make setup

This will:

  • Install Composer dependencies
  • Run database migrations
  • Install npm dependencies
  • Build frontend assets

You should be ready to go!

Open http://localhost:2226 in your browser to view the app.

2. Start Development Environment​

make start

This starts all Docker services:

  • php — FrankenPHP server on http://localhost:2226
  • queue — Queue worker for async backup/restore jobs
  • mysql — MySQL 8.0 on port 3306
  • postgres — PostgreSQL 16 on port 5432

Test database credentials: admin / admin / testdb

Available Commands​

All PHP commands run through Docker. Use the Makefile targets or docker compose exec app <command>.

Testing​

make test                           # Run all tests
make test-filter FILTER=ServerTest  # Run specific tests
make test-coverage                  # Run with coverage report

Code Quality​

make lint-fix     # Auto-fix code style with Laravel Pint
make lint-check   # Check code style without fixing
make phpstan      # Run PHPStan static analysis

Database​

make migrate            # Run pending migrations
make migrate-fresh      # Drop all tables and re-migrate
make migrate-fresh-seed # Fresh migration with seeders
make db-seed            # Run database seeders

Assets​

npm run build   # Build production assets
npm run dev     # Start Vite dev server (HMR)
make build      # Alternative: build via Makefile

Docker Services​

make start                    # Start all services
docker compose logs -f        # View logs from all services
docker compose logs -f queue  # View queue worker logs
docker compose restart queue  # Restart queue worker
docker compose down           # Stop all services

Git Hooks​

Pre-commit hooks (via Husky) automatically run:

  1. make lint-fix — Auto-format code with Laravel Pint
  2. make test — Run all Pest tests

Ensure tests pass before committing.

Architecture Overview​

Tech Stack​

LayerTechnology
BackendLaravel 12, PHP 8.4+
FrontendLivewire, Mary UI, daisyUI, Tailwind CSS 4
TestingPest PHP
DatabaseSQLite (dev), supports MySQL/PostgreSQL/MariaDB
AuthLaravel Fortify with 2FA support

Key Models​

  • DatabaseServer — Database connection configurations
  • Volume — Storage destinations (local, S3)
  • Backup — Backup configurations (schedule, retention, volume)
  • Snapshot — Individual backup snapshots with metadata
  • BackupJob — Tracks backup/restore job execution and logs

Key Services​

  • BackupTask — Executes database dumps, compression, and storage
  • RestoreTask — Downloads, decompresses, and restores snapshots
  • DatabaseListService — Lists databases for autocomplete
  • DatabaseConnectionTester — Validates database connectivity
  • ShellProcessor — Executes shell commands with logging

Livewire Components​

  • DatabaseServer/* — CRUD operations for database servers
  • Volume/* — CRUD operations for storage volumes
  • BackupJob/Index — Job listing with logs modal
  • Snapshot/Index — Snapshot listing and management
  • Settings/* — User settings (Profile, Password, TwoFactor)
  • RestoreModal — 3-step wizard for snapshot restoration

Backup & Restore Workflow​

Backup Process:

  1. Connect to database server
  2. Execute database-specific dump (mysqldump/pg_dump)
  3. Compress with gzip
  4. Upload to configured volume (local/S3)
  5. Record snapshot metadata

Restore Process:

  1. Select source snapshot
  2. Download and decompress
  3. Validate compatibility (database types must match)
  4. Drop and recreate target database
  5. Restore SQL dump

Cross-Server Restore: Restore production snapshots to staging/preprod as long as database types match.

Configuration​

Environment Variables​

The .env file is committed to the repository and contains default development configuration. To override these values, create a .env.local file (which is gitignored).

Key development configuration:

# Application
APP_URL=http://localhost:2226

# Database (for application data)
DB_CONNECTION=sqlite

# Queue
QUEUE_CONNECTION=database

# AWS S3 (optional, for S3 volume testing)
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=
AWS_DEFAULT_REGION=us-east-1

Testing Strategy​

We use Pest PHP for testing. Key principles:

  • Test business logic and behaviors — Not framework internals
  • Mock external services — AWS SDK, S3 client, etc.
  • Don't mock models — Use real database interactions

What to Test​

  • Authorization (who can access what)
  • Business logic (backup works, restore works, cleanup deletes correct snapshots)
  • Integration points (external services, commands)

What NOT to Test​

  • Form validation rules (Laravel handles this)
  • Eloquent relationships and cascades
  • Session flash messages
  • Framework behavior

Submitting Changes​

  1. Create a feature branch from main
  2. Write tests for new functionality
  3. Ensure all tests pass: make test
  4. Run code quality checks: make lint-fix && make phpstan
  5. Submit a pull request with a clear description

For significant changes, open an issue first to discuss the approach.