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Deathwatch Roller - Development & Operations Guide

Complete documentation for building, testing, deploying, and maintaining the Deathwatch Roller application. This guide covers the full technology stack, architecture, and operational procedures.

Project Overview

Deathwatch Roller is a full-stack web application for managing tabletop RPG gameplay. It provides character sheets, dice rolling, inventory management, GM tools, and a requisition shop system for the Warhammer 40K Deathwatch game system.

Technology Stack

Frontend

  • Framework: React 18.2.0
  • Styling: Tailwind CSS
  • Testing: Jest + React Testing Library
  • Build Tool: create-react-app (react-scripts)
  • State Management: React hooks (useState, useCallback, useEffect)
  • HTTP Client: Axios

Backend

  • Runtime: Node.js
  • Framework: Express.js 5.1.0
  • Database: MariaDB
  • Security: bcrypt, CORS, custom session validation
  • File Processing: PDF-parse (for importing game data)

DevOps

  • Process Management: PM2 (backend server)
  • Frontend Serving: serve (static file server on port 3000)
  • Backend API: Running on port 5000
  • Build Output: Production builds in /build directory

Architecture Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    CLIENT (React)                           │
│  - Player Tab (character sheets, inventory)                 │
│  - Dice Roller (d100 rolls with modifiers)                  │
│  - Requisition Shop (purchase equipment with RP)            │
│  - Bestiary (enemy database and stats)                      │
│  - Rules (searchable game rules reference)                  │
│  - GM Kit (enemy generation, bulk operations)               │
│  - Player Management (admin panel for GMs)                  │
│  Port: 3000 (via serve or npm start)                        │
└────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
             │
        HTTP/CORS
             │
┌────────────▼────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                 BACKEND (Express)                           │
│  API Routes:                                                │
│  - /api/players - Player CRUD & character data              │
│  - /api/sessions - Session validation & authentication      │
│  - /api/shop - Requisition shop purchases                   │
│  - /api/rules - Game rules database access                  │
│  - /api/weapons - Weapon stats & properties                 │
│  - /api/bestiary - Enemy database access                    │
│  - /api/gmkit - GM tools & bulk operations                  │
│  Port: 5000                                                 │
└────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
             │
        SQL Queries
             │
┌────────────▼────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              MariaDB Database                               │
│  Tables:                                                    │
│  - players (character data, RP, XP, renown)                 │
│  - sessions (authentication)                                │
│  - weapons (weapon stats & costs)                           │
│  - rules (game rules reference)                             │
│  - bestiary (enemy data)                                    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Project Structure

dwroller/
├── src/
│   ├── components/              # React UI components
│   │   ├── PlayerManagement.jsx # GM admin panel
│   │   ├── PlayerTab.jsx        # Player character sheet
│   │   ├── DeathwatchRoller.jsx # Dice rolling interface
│   │   ├── RequisitionShop.jsx  # Equipment shop
│   │   ├── BestiaryTab.jsx      # Enemy database
│   │   ├── RulesTab.jsx         # Rules reference
│   │   ├── GMKit.jsx            # GM tools
│   │   ├── XPBar.jsx            # Experience progress bar
│   │   └── GMKit_old.jsx        # Legacy (unused)
│   ├── utils/
│   │   └── logger.js            # Logging utility
│   ├── tests/
│   │   ├── bestiaryTab.test.js
│   │   ├── login.test.js
│   │   ├── playerManagement.test.js
│   │   └── requisitionShop.test.js
│   ├── App.js                   # Main app with routing
│   ├── App.css                  # App styling
│   ├── index.js                 # React entry point
│   ├── index.css                # Global Tailwind styles
│   └── index.html               # HTML template
├── database/
│   ├── server.js                # Express API server
│   ├── mariadb.js               # Database connection
│   ├── sessionModel.js          # Session management
│   ├── pm2.config.js            # PM2 configuration
│   ├── requireSession.js        # Auth middleware
│   ├── shop-helpers.js          # Shop business logic
│   ├── switch-db.sh             # Database switcher
│   └── backups/                 # Database backups
├── build/                       # Production build output
│   ├── static/
│   │   ├── css/main.*.css       # Compiled Tailwind
│   │   └── js/                  # Bundled JavaScript
│   └── index.html               # Served HTML
├── backup-scripts/              # Utility scripts
│   ├── migrate-to-sqlite.js
│   ├── sync-skills-csv-to-db.js
│   └── ...
├── package.json                 # Dependencies & scripts
├── tailwind.config.js           # Tailwind configuration
├── jest.config.js               # Jest test configuration
├── eslint.config.js             # ESLint configuration
└── README.md                    # Project readme

Build Process

Local Development

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Start dev server with hot reload
npm start
# or
npm run dev

Build Steps

1. Run Tests

npm run test:unit
# Runs all unit tests using Jest

2. Build for Production

npm run build
# Executes: npm run test:unit && react-scripts build
# Creates optimized production bundle in /build

3. Verify Build Output

# Check that build directory was created with static files
ls -la build/static/css/
ls -la build/static/js/

# Verify CSS size and integrity
gzip -c build/static/css/main.*.css | wc -c
# Expected: ~6-7 KB gzipped

Build Configuration

  • Source Maps: Generated for debugging
  • CSS Minification: Automatic via react-scripts
  • JS Minification: Webpack tree-shaking + uglification
  • Public Path: Set to / for root-level deployment

Alternative Build Commands

# Fast build without tests (use carefully)
npm run build:fast

# Build with integration tests
npm run build:with-integration

# Test -> Build -> Test cycle
npm run test-build-test

Deployment Process

1. Build for Production

cd /home/alex/git/dwroller
npm run build
# Output: /build directory ready for deployment

2. Start Frontend Server

# Serve the production build on port 3000
npx serve -s build -l 3000 &

# Or with PM2 (optional)
pm2 start "npx serve -s build -l 3000" --name dwroller-frontend
pm2 save

3. Ensure Backend is Running

# Start backend (if not already running)
pm2 start database/server.js --name deathwatch-server

# Verify it's running
pm2 list
pm2 logs deathwatch-server

4. Verify The Live Site

After a production build and PM2 reload, open https://dwroller.alw.dk and check the exact flow you changed on the deployed site. A successful local build or PM2 reload is not enough by itself; live-site verification is required for changes that affect production behavior.

5. Verify Deployment

# Test frontend accessibility
curl http://localhost:3000

# Test API connectivity
curl http://localhost:5000/api/players

# Check both are running
ps aux | grep -E "serve|node"

Testing

Unit Tests

npm run test:unit
# Runs Jest with --runInBand to avoid conflicts

Current Test Status:

  • ✅ 13 tests passing
  • ⚠️ 12 tests failing (pre-existing, architectural issues)
  • Tests cover: login, requisition shop, bestiary, player management

Running Specific Tests

# Run a specific test file
npm test -- src/tests/login.test.js

# Run tests matching a pattern
npm test -- --testNamePattern="PlayerManagement"

# Watch mode (automatic re-run on file changes)
npm test -- --watch

Test Coverage

npm test -- --coverage
# Shows coverage report for all tested files

Troubleshooting & Maintenance

Frontend Not Updating

Problem: Changes to source files not appearing in browser Solution:

# Full rebuild
rm -rf build
npm run build

# Kill old serve process and restart
pkill -9 -f "serve.*build"
npx serve -s build -l 3000 &

# Hard refresh browser: Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac)
# Clear browser cache manually in DevTools

Database Connection Issues

Problem: "Failed to fetch players" error Solution:

# Check if backend is running
pm2 list | grep deathwatch

# View backend logs
pm2 logs deathwatch-server --lines 100

# Check database connection
curl http://localhost:5000/api/players

# Verify MariaDB is running
systemctl status mariadb
# or
mysql -u root -p -e "SELECT 1;"

Port Already in Use

Problem: "EADDRINUSE: address already in use :::3000" Solution:

# Find process using port 3000
lsof -i :3000
# or
netstat -tulpn | grep 3000

# Kill the process
kill -9 <PID>

# Or use a different port
npx serve -s build -l 3001

API CORS Errors

Problem: "Access to XMLHttpRequest blocked by CORS policy" Solution: CORS is already configured in backend (database/server.js)

  • Proxy is configured in package.json: "proxy": "http://localhost:5000"
  • Requests to /api/* are automatically routed to backend
  • If issues persist, check backend logs and CORS configuration

Performance Optimization

Frontend

  • Code Splitting: React automatically chunks large components
  • CSS: Tailwind purges unused classes in production
  • JS: Webpack tree-shaking removes dead code
  • Assets: Images optimized by build process

Backend

  • Query Caching: Rules and bestiary data cached in memory
  • Session Validation: Simple token-based (can be improved)
  • Database Indexing: Ensure proper indexes on player ID, session ID

Monitoring

# Check memory usage
pm2 list

# Monitor in real-time
pm2 monit

# View detailed logs
pm2 logs

# Check response times
curl -w "@curl-format.txt" http://localhost:5000/api/players

Security Considerations

Authentication

  • ✅ Session-based with session ID validation
  • ✅ bcrypt password hashing
  • ⚠️ Default password (1234) for testing - CHANGE IN PRODUCTION
  • ⚠️ Simple token format - consider JWT

Authorization

  • ✅ GM role check for Player Management
  • ✅ Session validation on API routes
  • ⚠️ No rate limiting implemented
  • ⚠️ No input validation/sanitization

HTTPS

  • ⚠️ Not enforced (add in production)
  • Use reverse proxy (nginx) or cloud provider SSL

Recommended Improvements

  1. Remove hardcoded test password
  2. Implement JWT tokens instead of session IDs
  3. Add rate limiting middleware
  4. Add input validation/sanitization
  5. Enable HTTPS/SSL
  6. Implement CSRF protection
  7. Add request logging and monitoring

Database

Connection

  • Host: localhost (configured in database/mariadb.js)
  • User: configurable (default: root)
  • Database: dwroller (or deathwatch)
  • Driver: mysql2

Main Tables

-- Players table
CREATE TABLE players (
  id INT PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
  name VARCHAR(255) UNIQUE NOT NULL,
  passwordHash VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
  rp INT DEFAULT 0,
  xp INT DEFAULT 0,
  renown VARCHAR(50) DEFAULT 'None',
  tabInfo JSON,
  createdAt TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);

-- Sessions table
CREATE TABLE sessions (
  id VARCHAR(255) PRIMARY KEY,
  playerName VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
  createdAt TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
  expiresAt TIMESTAMP
);

-- Weapons, Rules, Bestiary tables
-- (See database/mariadb.js for full schema)

Backup & Restore

# Backup database
mysqldump -u root -p dwroller > backup.sql

# Restore database
mysql -u root -p dwroller < backup.sql

# Verify backup integrity
npm run backup-scripts/repair-skills.js

Development Workflow

Making Changes

  1. Create feature branch: git checkout -b feature/my-feature
  2. Make code changes
  3. Test locally: npm start and manual testing
  4. Run tests: npm run test:unit
  5. Build for production: npm run build
  6. Commit and push
  7. Deploy: Follow deployment process above

Code Style

  • ESLint configuration in eslintConfig (package.json)
  • Tailwind CSS for styling (not inline styles)
  • React hooks for state management (not class components)
  • Functional components preferred

Git Workflow

# View changes
git status
git diff

# Commit changes
git add .
git commit -m "Fix opacity issues in UI"

# Push to branch
git push origin clean-main

# Check current branch
git branch -a

Environment Variables (if needed)

Create .env file in project root:

REACT_APP_API_URL=http://localhost:5000
REACT_APP_DEBUG=false

Access in React:

const apiUrl = process.env.REACT_APP_API_URL;

Monitoring & Logs

Frontend Logs

# Browser console (DevTools F12)
- Network tab: Check API calls and response times
- Console tab: Check for JavaScript errors
- Application tab: Inspect stored data (localStorage)

Backend Logs

# Real-time logs
pm2 logs deathwatch-server

# Last 100 lines
pm2 logs deathwatch-server --lines 100

# Specific error log
pm2 logs deathwatch-server --err

# Stream logs to file
pm2 logs deathwatch-server > logs.txt

Common Workflows

Deploy a Hotfix

git checkout clean-main
git pull origin clean-main
# Make fixes to source files
npm run build
pkill -9 -f "serve.*build"
npx serve -s build -l 3000 &
# Test in browser

Rollback to Previous Build

# Keep previous build in backup
mv build build.backup
git checkout previous-commit
npm run build
npx serve -s build -l 3000 &

Scale Frontend to Multiple Instances

# Instead of single serve process, use PM2 with clustering
pm2 start "npx serve -s build -l 3000" --name dwroller-frontend-1
pm2 start "npx serve -s build -l 3001" --name dwroller-frontend-2
pm2 start "npx serve -s build -l 3002" --name dwroller-frontend-3

# Load balance with nginx
# (Configure nginx upstream to round-robin across ports)

References & Documentation

Official Docs

Project Files

  • Backend routes: database/server.js
  • Database connection: database/mariadb.js
  • Authentication: database/sessionModel.js
  • Middleware: database/requireSession.js

Last Updated: December 11, 2025 Branch: clean-main Status: ✅ Production Ready