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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:
  • Node.js (v18 or higher)
  • npm (v9 or higher)
  • Git
  • A code editor (VS Code recommended)
SENTi-radar is built with Vite + React 18 + TypeScript. Familiarity with these technologies will help you contribute effectively.

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Initial Setup

1

Clone the Repository

Clone the SENTi-radar source code to your local machine:
git clone <repository-url>
cd senti-radar
2

Install Dependencies

Install all required npm packages:
npm install
This will install:
  • React 18 and React Router for the UI
  • shadcn-ui components built on Radix UI
  • TanStack React Query for data fetching
  • Supabase client for database and edge functions
  • Recharts for sentiment visualizations
  • Vitest and Testing Library for unit tests
3

Configure Environment Variables

Copy the example environment file and configure your API keys:
cp .env.example .env
Edit .env and add your credentials:
# Required for database + edge functions
VITE_SUPABASE_URL=https://your-project.supabase.co
VITE_SUPABASE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=your-supabase-anon-key

# Required for live X/Twitter and Reddit scraping
VITE_SCRAPE_TOKEN=your-scrape-do-token

# Optional: YouTube comments analysis
VITE_YOUTUBE_API_KEY=your-youtube-data-api-key

# Optional: AI summaries (falls back to local analysis)
VITE_GEMINI_API_KEY=your-gemini-api-key
VITE_GROQ_API_KEY=your-groq-api-key
4

Start the Development Server

Launch the local development server:
npm run dev
The app will be available at http://localhost:8080
Hot Module Replacement (HMR) is enabled, so changes to your code will automatically reflect in the browser.

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Available Commands

Here are the key npm scripts you’ll use during development: 
# Start dev server on port 8080
npm run dev

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Supabase Edge Functions

If you’re working on backend functionality, you’ll need to deploy Supabase Edge Functions:
1

Install Supabase CLI

npm install -g supabase
2

Set Edge Function Secrets

Configure secrets for the edge functions (never commit these to .env):
supabase secrets set SCRAPE_DO_TOKEN=your-token
supabase secrets set YOUTUBE_API_KEY=your-key
supabase secrets set GEMINI_API_KEY=your-key
supabase secrets set SUPABASE_URL=https://your-project.supabase.co
supabase secrets set SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY=your-service-role-key
3

Deploy Functions

Deploy individual edge functions:
supabase functions deploy fetch-twitter
supabase functions deploy fetch-youtube
supabase functions deploy fetch-reddit
supabase functions deploy analyze-sentiment
supabase functions deploy analyze-topic
supabase functions deploy generate-insights
supabase functions deploy scheduled-monitor

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Verify Your Setup

To ensure everything is working correctly:
  1. Check the dev server: Navigate to http://localhost:8080 and verify the app loads
  2. Test authentication: Try signing up or logging in (requires Supabase)
  3. Search for a topic: Enter a search term like “climate change” to test data fetching
  4. Run tests: Execute npm run test to ensure all unit tests pass
Port 8080 already in use
  • Change the port in vite.config.ts under server.port
Module resolution errors
  • Delete node_modules and package-lock.json, then run npm install again
  • Ensure you’re using Node.js v18 or higher
Supabase connection errors
  • Verify your VITE_SUPABASE_URL and VITE_SUPABASE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY are correct
  • Check your Supabase project is active and not paused
Empty scraping results
  • Verify VITE_SCRAPE_TOKEN is set correctly
  • X.com is heavily protected; try enabling super: true in scraping options

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Next Steps

Now that your environment is set up:
  • Review the Project Structure to understand the codebase
  • Learn about Testing to write and run tests
  • Explore the source code in src/ to familiarize yourself with components and services

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