> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/Ishaq74/concordia/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Getting started

> Set up your local development environment for Concordia in minutes.

# Getting started

This guide will help you set up Concordia on your local machine for development.

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

* Node.js 18+ installed
* PostgreSQL 14+ running locally or access to a PostgreSQL database
* A package manager (npm, pnpm, or yarn)

## Installation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Clone the repository">
    Clone the Concordia repository to your local machine:

    ```bash theme={null}
    git clone <repository-url>
    cd concordia
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install dependencies">
    Install the required packages using your preferred package manager:

    <CodeGroup>
      ```bash npm theme={null}
      npm install
      ```

      ```bash pnpm theme={null}
      pnpm install
      ```

      ```bash yarn theme={null}
      yarn install
      ```
    </CodeGroup>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure environment variables">
    Create a `.env` file in the root directory by copying the example file:

    ```bash theme={null}
    cp .env.example .env
    ```

    Update the `.env` file with your configuration:

    ```bash theme={null}
    # Database Configuration
    USE_DB_TEST=false
    USE_PROD_DB=false
    DATABASE_URL_LOCAL=postgresql://username:password@localhost:5432/concordia
    DATABASE_URL_TEST=postgresql://username:password@localhost:5432/concordia_test

    # Better Auth Configuration
    BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=your-secret-key-here
    BETTER_AUTH_URL=http://localhost:4321

    # SMTP Configuration (for email functionality)
    SMTP_PROVIDER=your-provider
    SMTP_USER=your-email@example.com
    SMTP_PASS=your-password
    SMTP_FROM=noreply@concordia.local

    # Optional: Resend API (alternative email provider)
    # RESEND_API_KEY=your_resend_api_key_here

    # Environment
    NODE_ENV=development
    PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:4321/api
    ```

    <Note>
      Generate a secure `BETTER_AUTH_SECRET` using: `openssl rand -base64 32`
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set up the database">
    Create your PostgreSQL database and run migrations:

    <CodeGroup>
      ```bash Create database theme={null}
      createdb concordia
      ```

      ```bash Run migrations theme={null}
      npm run db:migrate
      ```

      ```bash Seed sample data (optional) theme={null}
      npm run db:seed
      ```
    </CodeGroup>

    The migrations will create all necessary tables including:

    * Authentication tables (user, session, account, verification)
    * Profile and role management
    * Blog system (posts, authors, categories, translations)
    * Organization management
    * Audit logging
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start the development server">
    Launch the Astro development server:

    <CodeGroup>
      ```bash npm theme={null}
      npm run dev
      ```

      ```bash pnpm theme={null}
      pnpm dev
      ```

      ```bash yarn theme={null}
      yarn dev
      ```
    </CodeGroup>

    The application will be available at `http://localhost:4321`
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Available scripts

Concordia includes several useful npm scripts for development:

### Development

```bash theme={null}
npm run dev              # Start development server
npm run build            # Build for production
npm run preview          # Preview production build
```

### Database management

```bash theme={null}
npm run db:generate      # Generate migration files
npm run db:migrate       # Run pending migrations
npm run db:seed          # Seed database with sample data
npm run db:check         # Check database schema
npm run db:compare       # Compare dev and prod schemas
```

### Testing

```bash theme={null}
npm run test             # Run all tests in watch mode
npm run test:unit        # Run unit tests
npm run test:integration # Run integration tests
npm run test:e2e         # Run end-to-end tests
npm run test:security    # Run security tests
npm run test:coverage    # Generate coverage report
```

### Utilities

```bash theme={null}
npm run smtp:check       # Test SMTP configuration
npm run readme:generate  # Generate comprehensive README
```

## Verify installation

After setup, verify everything is working:

1. **Check the homepage**: Navigate to `http://localhost:4321` and verify the site loads
2. **Test authentication**: Try signing up at `http://localhost:4321/en/auth/sign-up`
3. **Check database**: Verify tables were created successfully:
   ```bash theme={null}
   npm run db:check
   ```
4. **Run tests**: Execute the test suite to ensure everything passes:
   ```bash theme={null}
   npm run test:unit
   ```

## Multi-language support

Concordia supports four languages out of the box:

* **French** (fr) - Default language
* **English** (en)
* **Arabic** (ar) - Right-to-left (RTL) support
* **Spanish** (es)

Access different language versions via URL paths:

* `http://localhost:4321/fr/` (French)
* `http://localhost:4321/en/` (English)
* `http://localhost:4321/ar/` (Arabic - RTL)
* `http://localhost:4321/es/` (Spanish)

## Project structure

```
concordia/
├── src/
│   ├── components/       # UI components
│   ├── database/         # Drizzle schemas and migrations
│   │   ├── schemas/      # Database schema definitions
│   │   └── migrations/   # SQL migration files
│   ├── i18n/            # Translation files (en, fr, ar, es)
│   ├── layouts/         # Page layouts
│   ├── lib/             # Utility functions
│   │   ├── auth/        # Authentication logic
│   │   ├── smtp/        # Email functionality
│   │   └── i18n/        # Internationalization helpers
│   ├── pages/           # Astro pages and API routes
│   │   ├── [lang]/      # Localized pages
│   │   └── api/         # API endpoints
│   └── styles/          # Global styles and CSS tokens
├── tests/               # Test suites
│   ├── unit/            # Unit tests
│   ├── integration/     # Integration tests
│   ├── e2e/             # End-to-end tests
│   └── security/        # Security tests
└── public/              # Static assets
```

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Explore features" icon="compass" href="/features">
    Learn about all the platform capabilities and how they work together.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Database schema" icon="database" href="/development/database/schema">
    Understand the database structure and relationships.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Info>
  Need help? Check the comprehensive test suite in `tests/` for examples of how different features work.
</Info>