Developer Guide

Documentation for contributing to TimeTiles.

Overview

This guide covers everything developers need to know:

• Understanding the architecture and technology stack
• Setting up the development environment
• Working with the monorepo structure
• Building and testing features

Documentation Structure

Architecture & Tech Stack

System architecture, technology choices, data flow, and design patterns.

Development Setup

Development environment setup, workflows, commit guidelines, and testing.

Packages

Monorepo package structure, shared components, and configuration.

REST API

API endpoints, request/response formats, and integration patterns.

Quick Start

• Setup: See Development Setup for environment configuration
• First Contribution: See Commit Guidelines for workflow
• Testing: See Testing Guidelines for test practices

Architecture

TimeTiles is built with:

• Next.js 16: App Router with Turbopack, next-intl for i18n
• Payload CMS 3: Headless CMS integrated with Next.js (17 collections, 4 globals)
• PostgreSQL 17 + PostGIS 3.5: Spatial database with geospatial queries
• React Query: Server state management (27 custom hooks)
• Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui: Component styling with Cartographic Design System
• Background Jobs: 18 Payload job handlers for import pipeline, scheduling, and maintenance

Getting Help

• Issues: GitHub Issues 
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions 
• Documentation: You’re reading it!

Related Guides

• User Guide - For end users
• Admin Guide - For operators
• API Reference - Auto-generated API docs