Python, Node.js & MariaDB Development Environment

This project provides a complete development environment using VS Code Dev Containers with Python, Node.js, and MariaDB.

Prerequisites

Before getting started, ensure you have the following installed on your machine:

• Docker Desktop (Windows/Mac) or Docker Engine (Linux)
  • Download from https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop
• Visual Studio Code
  • Download from https://code.visualstudio.com/
• Dev Containers extension for VS Code
  • Install from VS Code Extensions marketplace or here

Getting Started

1. Clone or Create Your Project

git clone <your-repository-url>
cd <your-project-directory>

Or create a new project directory:

mkdir my-project
cd my-project

2. Set Up the Dev Container Files

Ensure your project has the following structure:

your-project/
├── .devcontainer/
│   ├── devcontainer.json
│   ├── docker-compose.yml
│   └── Dockerfile
├── ... (your project files)

3. Open in VS Code

1. Open VS Code
2. Open your project folder (File > Open Folder...)
3. When prompted, click "Reopen in Container" or:
   • Press F1 or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) / Cmd+Shift+P (Mac)
   • Type and select "Dev Containers: Reopen in Container"

VS Code will build the Docker containers and set up your development environment. This may take a few minutes on the first run.

Environment Details

Services

The development environment includes:

• Application Container

  • Python 3.11
  • Node.js 20.x (latest LTS)
  • npm (latest version)
  • Common development tools

• MariaDB Database

  • Version: 10.11
  • Port: 3306
  • Database name: devdb
  • Username: devuser
  • Password: devpassword
  • Root password: rootpassword

Ports

• 3306: MariaDB database
• 3000: Node.js application (when running)

Working with the Environment

Python Development

The container includes Python 3.11 with common linting and formatting tools:

# Run Python scripts
python your_script.py

# Install Python packages
pip install package-name

# Or use requirements.txt
pip install -r requirements.txt

Available Python tools:

• autopep8
• black
• yapf
• bandit
• flake8
• mypy
• pycodestyle
• pydocstyle
• pylint

Node.js Development

# Check Node.js version
node --version

# Initialize a new Node.js project
npm init

# Install dependencies
npm install package-name

# Run Node.js applications
node app.js

# Or use npm scripts
npm start

Database Connection

Connect to MariaDB from your applications using:

• Host: db (from within containers) or localhost (from host machine)
• Port: 3306
• Database: devdb
• Username: devuser
• Password: devpassword

Example Python connection:

import mysql.connector

connection = mysql.connector.connect(
    host="db",
    port=3306,
    database="devdb",
    user="devuser",
    password="devpassword"
)

Example Node.js connection:

const mysql = require('mysql2');

const connection = mysql.createConnection({
    host: 'db',
    port: 3306,
    database: 'devdb',
    user: 'devuser',
    password: 'devpassword'
});

Using MySQL Client

Access the database directly:

# Connect to MariaDB as devuser
mysql -h db -u devuser -pdevpassword devdb

# Connect as root
mysql -h db -u root -prootpassword

VS Code Extensions

The following extensions are automatically installed in the container:

• ESLint
• Prettier
• Python
• Pylance

Troubleshooting

Container Won't Start

1. Ensure Docker is running
2. Check Docker logs: docker-compose -f .devcontainer/docker-compose.yml logs
3. Try rebuilding: In VS Code, run "Dev Containers: Rebuild Container"

Database Connection Issues

1. Wait for the database to fully initialize (check logs)
2. Verify credentials match those in docker-compose.yml
3. Ensure you're using db as the hostname when connecting from the app container

Port Already in Use

If ports 3306 or 3000 are already in use on your host:

1. Stop any local MySQL/MariaDB or Node.js services
2. Or modify the port mappings in docker-compose.yml

Permission Issues

The container runs as the vscode user. If you encounter permission issues:

# Switch to root temporarily
sudo command-here

# Or change file ownership
sudo chown vscode:vscode file-or-directory

Customization

Adding Dependencies

Python Packages

Create a requirements.txt file in your project root:

flask==2.3.0
django==4.2.0
requests==2.31.0

Then install in the container:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Node.js Packages

Create a package.json file or install directly:

npm install express mongoose dotenv

Modifying the Environment

To add system packages or tools, modify .devcontainer/Dockerfile:

# Add this after the existing RUN command
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
    your-package-here \
    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

Then rebuild the container in VS Code.

Data Persistence

• MariaDB data is persisted in a Docker volume named mariadb-data
• Node modules are stored in a separate volume for better performance
• Your code is mounted from your local machine and changes are reflected immediately

Cleaning Up

To remove the containers and volumes:

# Stop and remove containers
docker-compose -f .devcontainer/docker-compose.yml down

# Remove volumes (this will delete database data!)
docker-compose -f .devcontainer/docker-compose.yml down -v

Additional Resources

• VS Code Dev Containers Documentation
• Python Documentation
• Node.js Documentation
• MariaDB Documentation

Support

If you encounter issues not covered in this README:

1. Check the VS Code Dev Containers troubleshooting guide
2. Review Docker logs for specific error messages
3. Ensure all prerequisites are properly installed and up to date