Getting Started

Install the required tools to run the Starter App locally and work with AI-assisted development.

1. Install Docker Desktop

Docker provides an isolated environment with all dependencies pre-configured.

• macOS/Windows: Download from docker.com/products/docker-desktop
• Linux: Install via package manager or from docs.docker.com/engine/install

# Verify Installation
docker --version

2. Install Git

Git is essential for version control and working with AI coding agents.

• macOS: brew install git or download from git-scm.com
• Windows: Download from git-scm.com
• Linux: sudo apt install git (Ubuntu/Debian) or use your package manager

# Verify Installation
git --version

3. Install Node.js and npm

Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) are required to install AI coding tools like Claude Code.

• macOS: brew install node or download from nodejs.org
• Windows: Download from nodejs.org
• Linux: sudo apt install nodejs npm (Ubuntu/Debian) or use your package manager

# Verify Installation
node --version && npm --version

Select an AI coding agent to help you build features faster. We recommend Claude Code for its deep integration with your development workflow.

Recommended: Claude Code

Claude Code is a powerful CLI tool that can read, write, and edit files, run commands, and understand your entire codebase context.

• Full codebase awareness and navigation
• Integrated terminal access and command execution
• Multi-file editing with context preservation
• Understands Docker and can help with container management

# Install Claude Code (requires npm)
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Learn more at code.claude.com

Download our pre-configured Next.js starter application with all StackForDevs services integrated and ready to use.

Alternatively, clone from GitHub if you prefer:

git clone https://github.com/stackfordevs/starter-app.git
cd starter-app

After cloning from GitHub:

1. Open the folder in your terminal
2. Create a .env file with your credentials from the Admin Dashboard
3. Run the app with Docker: docker compose up -d --build
4. Open your browser and visit http://localhost:3000

# .env file example
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_KEY=YOUR_PUBLIC_API_KEY
API_SECRET_KEY=YOUR_SECRET_API_KEY
NEXT_PUBLIC_TENANT_ID=YOUR_TENANT_ID
NEXT_PUBLIC_PROJECT_ID=YOUR_PROJECT_ID

Now comes the fun part! Use Claude Code to add features, modify existing functionality, and build your application with AI assistance.

Getting Started with Claude Code:

1. Launch Claude Code in your project:

# Open your terminal in the starter app directory
claude

2. Start building with comprehensive prompts:

Provide detailed context and requirements for best results. Here are example prompts that work well:

Example 1:
"I need to add a user profile feature. Create a /profile page that displays
the current user's information from the auth service. Include fields for name,
email, and account creation date. Add an 'Edit Profile' button that opens a
form to update the user's display name. Use the existing design system and
Tailwind styling patterns from the codebase. Make sure to handle loading
states and errors properly."

Example 2:
"Create a blog feature using the CMS service. I need: 1) A /blog page that
lists all blog posts with pagination, 2) A /blog/[slug] page for individual
posts, 3) An admin section at /admin/blog to create and edit posts with a
rich text editor, 4) Integration with the CMS API for CRUD operations. Follow
the existing authentication patterns and ensure only authenticated users can
access the admin section."

Example 3:
"Implement an email notification system for password resets. When a user
requests a password reset: 1) Generate a secure reset token, 2) Use the
mailer service to send an email with a reset link, 3) Create a
/reset-password/[token] page where users can enter a new password, 4) Validate
the token and update the password via the auth service. Include proper error
handling for expired tokens and email delivery failures."

3. Claude Code will:

• Understand your existing codebase and architecture
• Write new components and integrate with StackForDevs APIs
• Update routing, styling, and configuration automatically
• Run commands like npm install or Docker commands when needed

The Starter App includes Docker configuration for easy local development. Here's how to run and see your changes.

First Time Setup:

docker compose up -d --build

This builds the Docker image and starts the containers in detached mode. The app will be available at http://localhost:3000

Common Commands:

# Start containers (after initial build)
docker compose up -d

# Rebuild after code changes
docker compose up -d --build

# Stop containers
docker compose down

# View logs
docker compose logs -f

# Clean rebuild (removes volumes)
docker compose down -v && docker compose up -d --build