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Developer Initial Setup

Welcome to FindU! This guide will help you set up your development environment for working with the FindU platform.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:
  • Git (v2.30+)
  • Node.js (v18+ LTS recommended)
  • Python (3.9-3.11 for matching algorithm)
  • Xcode (for iOS development on macOS)
  • Railway CLI (optional, for deployment)
  • Claude Code (optional, for AI-assisted development)
Pro tip: If you’re on macOS, you can install most prerequisites using Homebrew:
brew install git node [email protected]
brew install --cask railway  # Optional for deployment
# Xcode from App Store
Database Access: You’ll manage the database through the Supabase web dashboard. No CLI tools required!

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Getting Started

Since FindU uses multiple repositories, you’ll need to set up each component individually:

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1. Create a workspace directory

mkdir ~/findu
cd ~/findu

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2. Clone the repositories you need

# Core repositories
git clone https://github.com/findu-app/ios_app.git
git clone https://github.com/findu-app/web_app.git
git clone https://github.com/findu-app/matching-algorithm.git

# Data and documentation
git clone https://github.com/findu-app/data_scraping.git
git clone https://github.com/findu-app/docs.git

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3. Switch to dev branches

cd ios_app && git checkout dev && cd ..
cd web_app && git checkout dev && cd ..
cd matching-algorithm && git checkout dev && cd ..
cd data_scraping && git checkout dev && cd ..

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4. Set up each component

Follow the README in each repository for specific setup instructions.

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Repository Structure

After cloning, your workspace will look like: 
~/findu/
├── ios_app/           # iOS mobile app (Swift/SwiftUI)
├── web_app/           # Partner dashboard (React/TypeScript)
├── matching-algorithm/ # ML matching engine (Python/FastAPI)
├── data_scraping/     # Data collection scripts
└── docs/              # Documentation (this site!)
Each repository has its own:
  • README with setup instructions
  • Environment configuration
  • Dependencies and tooling

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Environment Configuration

Each repository requires its own environment configuration:

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Web App

Create web_app/.env: 
VITE_SUPABASE_URL=your_supabase_url
VITE_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your_anon_key
VITE_ENV=development

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iOS App

Create ios_app/Secrets.xcconfig: 
SUPABASE_URL = your_supabase_url
SUPABASE_ANON_KEY = your_anon_key

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Matching Algorithm

Create matching-algorithm/.env: 
SUPABASE_URL=your_supabase_url
SUPABASE_KEY=your_anon_key
Never commit environment files to version control! They contain sensitive credentials.

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Next Steps

Architecture Overview

Understand how components work together

Database Guide

Learn about the Supabase setup

Workflow Guide

Common development workflows

API Reference

Explore available APIs

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Troubleshooting

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Common Issues

Make sure you’ve created the .env files in each repository with the correct credentials from your Supabase project.
Verify:
  • Your Supabase project is active
  • Credentials are correct
  • RLS policies allow access
The matching algorithm requires Python 3.9-3.11. Python 3.13 has compatibility issues with some dependencies. Use pyenv to manage Python versions if needed.
Some repositories might not have a dev branch yet. In that case, continue using main or create a dev branch from main.
Use Node.js 18+ LTS for best compatibility with the web app.

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Getting Help

  • Slack: Join #dev-help for quick questions
  • GitHub Issues: Report bugs or request features
  • Documentation: You’re already here! 🎉
Ready to start building? Head to the workflow guide to learn common development patterns.