Environment Configuration Options

The configuration for helixml/live-coding allows developers to customize their development environment extensively. Below are detailed steps for configuring various options.

1. Configuration Files

1.1. config.json

This JSON file is essential for storing the configuration parameters required by helixml/live-coding. The file should include the following parameters:

{
  "server": {
    "host": "localhost",
    "port": 8080
  },
  "database": {
    "url": "mongodb://localhost:27017",
    "name": "dev_db"
  },
  "logging": {
    "level": "debug"
  }
}

• server.host: Defines the hostname where your server will run.
• server.port: Sets the port for the server.
• database.url: Specifies the MongoDB connection string.
• database.name: Indicates the name of the database to be used.
• logging.level: Determines the level of logging (options are debug, info, warn, error).

2. Environment Variables

Use environment variables to override the defaults defined in config.json. This is particularly useful for sensitive information.

Example usage in a .env file:

SERVER_HOST=127.0.0.1
SERVER_PORT=3000
DB_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/dev_db
LOG_LEVEL=info

In your application code, utilize a library such as dotenv to load these variables:

require('dotenv').config();

const config = {
  server: {
    host: process.env.SERVER_HOST || 'localhost',
    port: process.env.SERVER_PORT || 8080
  },
  database: {
    url: process.env.DB_URL || 'mongodb://localhost:27017',
    name: 'dev_db'
  },
  logging: {
    level: process.env.LOG_LEVEL || 'info'
  }
};

3. Live Reload Configuration

To enable live reloading, modify the liveReload option in your configuration:

{
  "liveReload": {
    "enabled": true,
    "port": 35729
  }
}

This configuration specifies whether live reload is enabled, and which port to use for live reloading events.

4. Custom Middleware

If required, custom middleware can be configured for advanced functionality. Define your middleware in a separate file and import it in your configuration:

const customMiddleware = require('./middleware/customMiddleware');

const app = require('express')();
app.use(customMiddleware);

Make sure to reference the custom middleware in your server setup to ensure it takes effect.

5. API Rate Limiting

Implementing rate limiting can safeguard your development environment:

const rateLimit = require('express-rate-limit');

const limiter = rateLimit({
  windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000, // 15 minutes
  max: 100 // Limit each IP to 100 requests per windowMs
});

app.use(limiter);

6. Error Handling

Configure error handling to ensure that your application does not crash unexpectedly. Implement a centralized error handling middleware:

function errorHandler(err, req, res, next) {
  console.error(err.stack);
  res.status(500).send('Something broke!');
}

app.use(errorHandler);

7. CORS Configuration

If your application requires Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS), configure it as follows:

const cors = require('cors');

app.use(cors({
  origin: 'http://example.com', // Adjust the allowed origin as necessary
  methods: ['GET', 'POST', 'PUT', 'DELETE'], // Define allowed methods
  allowedHeaders: ['Content-Type', 'Authorization'] // Define allowed headers
}));

Conclusion

The above configuration examples illustrate how to tailor the helixml/live-coding environment to fit specific needs. While options may vary based on unique use cases, foundational configurations are essential to create a robust development ecosystem.

Source: Configuration details were referenced from the helixml/live-coding documentation.