How to approach local development

In the previous sections, you learnt how to clone the repository, set environment variables, customize the look and feel of the app, and some basic API that you'll be using throughout the app. In this section, you'll learn how to start developing your app locally.

Buckle up, we have a lot to do!

Generally speaking, you will be doing the following:

1. Customization: Set environment variables (application name, feature flags). This is a quick starting point that will start turning Makerkit into your very own app.
2. Database: Drawing and writing the database schema. Of course, your app will store data and have its schema. It's time to draw it.
3. Routing: Adding new routes. Your new pages will need routes - unless you can reuse the "home" pages of the accounts.
4. Fetching Data: Fetching data from your DB and display it onto the new routes.
5. Writing Data Adding new forms. You will need to add forms to create new data.

In 90% of cases, the above is what you will be doing. The remaining 10% is adding new (very specific) features, which is a bit more complex - and not relevant to Makerkit itself.