Add Docker and docker-compose for local development

[prodbycorne]

Overview

Developers currently need to install Redis manually and manage environment variables by hand. A docker-compose.yml will let anyone run the full local stack with a single command.

docker-compose Services

services:
  api:
    build: .
    ports:
      - "4000:4000"
    environment:
      - REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379
      - DATABASE_URL=postgres://smartdrop:smartdrop@postgres:5432/smartdrop
    depends_on:
      redis:
        condition: service_healthy
      postgres:
        condition: service_healthy
    volumes:
      - ./src:/app/src   # hot reload in dev

  redis:
    image: redis:7-alpine
    ports:
      - "6379:6379"
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "redis-cli", "ping"]
      interval: 5s

  postgres:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: smartdrop
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: smartdrop
      POSTGRES_DB: smartdrop
    ports:
      - "5432:5432"
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "pg_isready", "-U", "smartdrop"]
      interval: 5s

Dockerfile

Multi-stage build:

1. builder stage: npm ci --omit=dev
2. production stage: copy node_modules + src from builder

Requirements

• Dockerfile at repo root for production builds
• docker-compose.yml for local dev (includes hot reload)
• docker-compose.override.yml gitignored for local secrets
• .dockerignore to exclude node_modules, .env, tests
• README section: Quick Start (docker compose up)

Acceptance Criteria

• docker compose up starts all services and API responds on port 4000
• API auto-restarts on src/ file change in dev mode
• .env.example variables work with docker-compose defaults
• .dockerignore present and excludes sensitive files
• README updated with Quick Start section
• Production image < 200 MB

[julianvillalba688]

Experience Summary
I am a Systems Engineering student and Fullstack Developer with experience containerizing environments and managing multi-container setups using Docker. I regularly work with Node.js, Python, and SQL databases, focusing on clean local developer experiences.

Proposed Approach

Multi-Stage Dockerfile: Create an optimized build separating the local development environment (with hot-reloading enabled) from production layers.

Docker Compose Setup: Define the backend service alongside its required database, utilizing bind mounts for instant local code synchronization.

Container Coordination: Implement network isolation and health checks to ensure the database is fully initialized before the backend attempts connections or migrations.

DX Documentation: Add a quick-start guide to the README so contributors can launch the entire stack using a single docker compose up command.

[grantfox-oss]

🦊 GrantFox — @julianvillalba688 has been assigned to this issue as part of the Official Campaign campaign!

Next steps:

1. Open a Pull Request referencing this issue (e.g., Closes #15)
2. Your PR will be reviewed by the SmartDropLabs maintainers

Good luck! Track your progress on GrantFox.

[grantfox-oss]

🎉 This issue has been marked as completed on GrantFox as part of the Official Campaign campaign!

@julianvillalba688's PR #55 was approved and merged by @prodbycorne.

🏆 @julianvillalba688: You earned 35 FoxPoints for this contribution! Your current tier: Explorer (48 total points). Track your full progress on GrantFox.

👏 Great work, @julianvillalba688! Keep contributing to SmartDropLabs.