enroll-dash | Open Source with SLU

Online tools and dashboards for Saint Louis University's Office of Enrollment

Tech stack:

• Frontend

  /app

  • Typescript
  • React
  • Vite
  • Nginx

• Backend

  /api

  • Typescript
  • NodeJS
  • Express

• Database

  • PostgreSQL 17
  • CensusReporter 2024 ACS 5-year data

Project installation/setup

1. Download and install Docker Desktop

2. Clone the repository & open project locally

git clone https://github.com/oss-slu/enroll-dash.git
cd enroll-dash

3. Configure the database

Create the environment file with separate random database owner and application passwords:

./scripts/setup-env

The .env file contains the database owner and application credentials. It is ignored by Git and excluded from Docker build contexts; never commit it. The setup script refuses to overwrite an existing .env file. PGDATABASE controls the name of the database created when the database volume is initialized. PGUSER and PGPASSWORD are the less-privileged credentials the API uses to connect.

4. Run project with Docker Compose

The frontend can be served by nginx via the app container (production behavior) or with vite's dev server for developers to take advantage of hot reloading.

• Use docker frontend:

  • Start frontend and backend containers:
    docker compose up --build -d
  • Frontend should now be accessible in your browser at http://localhost:8089

• Run frontend via vite development server:

  • First, ensure Node JS is installed
    
  • Run backend container:
    docker compose up api --build -d
  • Run vite dev server:
    cd app && npm ci && npm run dev
    
  • Frontend should now be accessible in your browser at http://localhost:7395

Database usage

Start only PostgreSQL and wait for its health check:

docker compose up --build --detach --wait db

Import the 2024 ACS 5-year CensusReporter dump after the database starts:

docker compose exec db acs-import

The import downloads the compressed SQL dump, replaces any prior ACS import, and restores the data to the acs schema. The source dump is large, so the first import can take a while.

Connect as the application user from inside the container:

docker compose exec db psql

To connect with a locally installed psql, export the standard PG* variables from .env, then run psql. The default host connection is localhost:5432; change PGPORT before the first Compose run if that port is already in use.