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MULTI_PORT_DEVELOPMENT.md

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Multi-Port Development Setup

Overview

This project supports running multiple development instances simultaneously on different ports without session conflicts. This is useful when working with Git worktrees or testing different branches simultaneously.

How It Works

Session Cookie Isolation

The Django backend automatically creates port-specific session and CSRF cookies based on the port number used when running the development server. This prevents authentication sessions from interfering with each other across different development instances.

Cookie Naming Convention

  • Port 8000: tally_sessionid_8000, tally_csrftoken_8000
  • Port 8001: tally_sessionid_8001, tally_csrftoken_8001
  • Port 8002: tally_sessionid_8002, tally_csrftoken_8002
  • Production: tally_sessionid, csrftoken

Running Multiple Instances

Backend Setup

Run each backend instance on a different port:

# Terminal 1 - Main development
cd backend
python manage.py runserver 8000

# Terminal 2 - Feature branch
cd ../tally-feature-branch/backend
python manage.py runserver 8001

# Terminal 3 - Bug fix branch
cd ../tally-bugfix/backend
python manage.py runserver 8002

Frontend Setup

Configure each frontend to connect to its corresponding backend:

# Terminal 4 - Main development frontend
cd frontend
VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:8000 npm run dev -- --port 5000

# Terminal 5 - Feature branch frontend
cd ../tally-feature-branch/frontend
VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:8001 npm run dev -- --port 5001

# Terminal 6 - Bug fix branch frontend
cd ../tally-bugfix/frontend
VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:8002 npm run dev -- --port 5002

Benefits

  1. No Session Conflicts: Each development instance maintains its own authentication session
  2. Parallel Testing: Test different features or branches simultaneously
  3. Worktree Support: Perfect for Git worktree workflows
  4. Independent States: Each instance can have different logged-in users or states

Important Notes

  1. Development Only: This feature only works in DEBUG mode. Production deployments use standard cookie names.

  2. Browser Isolation: Sessions are isolated per port, so:

    • Logging in on localhost:5000 won't affect localhost:5001
    • Each instance maintains its own authentication state
    • You can be logged in as different users on different ports

  3. Database Sharing: All instances still share the same database by default. If you need separate databases:

    # Use different database files
DATABASE_URL=sqlite:///./db_8001.sqlite3 python manage.py runserver 8001

  4. Cookie Cleanup: Old session cookies from different ports will accumulate in your browser. You can clear them periodically through your browser's developer tools.

Troubleshooting

Sessions Still Conflicting

  • Ensure the backend is running with the correct port argument
  • Check the console output for: [DEV] Using port-specific cookies for port XXXX
  • Clear browser cookies and try again

Can't Connect Frontend to Backend

  • Verify VITE_API_URL matches the backend port
  • Check CORS settings allow the frontend port
  • Ensure both frontend and backend are running

Authentication Not Persisting

  • Check browser developer tools for the correct cookie names
  • Verify SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN is set to None (not 'localhost')
  • Ensure cookies are not being blocked by browser settings