# SmoothSchedule Frontend Development Guide

## Local Development Domain Setup

### Why lvh.me instead of localhost?

This project uses **lvh.me** for local development instead of `localhost` due to cookie domain restrictions in RFC 6265.

**The Problem with localhost:**
- Browsers reject cookies with `domain=.localhost` for security reasons
- `localhost` is treated as a special-use domain where domain cookies don't work
- Cannot share cookies across subdomains like `platform.localhost` and `business.localhost`

**The Solution - lvh.me:**
- `lvh.me` is a public DNS service that resolves all `*.lvh.me` domains to `127.0.0.1`
- Browsers allow setting cookies with `domain=.lvh.me`
- Cookies are accessible across all subdomains (platform.lvh.me, business1.lvh.me, etc.)
- No /etc/hosts configuration needed - it just works!

### Development URLs

Use these URLs for local development:

- **Base domain:** `http://lvh.me:5173`
- **Platform dashboard:** `http://platform.lvh.me:5173`
- **Business subdomains:** `http://{subdomain}.lvh.me:5173`

### Multi-Tenant Architecture

The application uses subdomain-based multi-tenancy:

1. **Platform Users** (superuser, platform_manager, platform_support)
   - Access the app at `http://platform.lvh.me:5173`
   - See platform dashboard and administrative features

2. **Business Users** (owner, manager, staff, resource)
   - Access the app at `http://{business_subdomain}.lvh.me:5173`
   - See business-specific dashboard and features

### Cookie-Based Authentication

Tokens are stored in cookies with `domain=.lvh.me` to enable cross-subdomain access:

```typescript
// Set cookie accessible across all *.lvh.me subdomains
setCookie('access_token', token, 7);  // domain=.lvh.me

// Cookie is accessible on:
// - platform.lvh.me:5173
// - business1.lvh.me:5173
// - business2.lvh.me:5173
// etc.
```

**Key Files:**
- `/src/utils/cookies.ts` - Cookie utilities with cross-subdomain support
- `/src/hooks/useAuth.ts` - Authentication hooks using cookies
- `/src/api/client.ts` - API client with cookie-based auth

### Login Flow

1. User navigates to `http://platform.lvh.me:5173`
2. If not authenticated, shows login page
3. User enters credentials and submits
4. Backend validates and returns JWT tokens + user data
5. Tokens stored in cookies with `domain=.lvh.me`
6. User data stored in React Query cache
7. App checks user role:
   - Platform users: Stay on platform.lvh.me
   - Business users: Redirect to {business_subdomain}.lvh.me
8. Cookies accessible on target subdomain - user sees dashboard

### Testing with Playwright

Tests use lvh.me for proper subdomain testing:

```typescript
// Start on platform subdomain
await page.goto('http://platform.lvh.me:5173');

// Login sets cookies with domain=.lvh.me
await page.getByPlaceholder(/username/i).fill('poduck');
await page.getByPlaceholder(/password/i).fill('starry12');
await page.getByRole('button', { name: /sign in/i }).click();

// Cookies accessible, dashboard loads
await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { name: /platform dashboard/i })).toBeVisible();
```

### Running the Development Server

```bash
# Install dependencies
npm install

# Start dev server
npm run dev

# Access at http://platform.lvh.me:5173
```

### Running Tests

```bash
# Run all tests
npm test

# Run E2E tests
npx playwright test

# Run specific test file
npx playwright test login-flow.spec.ts

# Run with UI
npx playwright test --ui
```

## Production Deployment

In production, replace `lvh.me` with your actual domain:

1. Update `src/utils/cookies.ts`:
   ```typescript
   const domain = window.location.hostname.includes('yourdomain.com')
     ? '.yourdomain.com'
     : window.location.hostname;
   ```

2. Configure DNS:
   - `platform.yourdomain.com` → Your server IP
   - `*.yourdomain.com` → Your server IP (wildcard for business subdomains)

3. SSL certificates:
   - Get wildcard certificate for `*.yourdomain.com`
   - Or use Let's Encrypt with wildcard support

## Troubleshooting

### Cookies not working?
- Make sure you're using `lvh.me`, not `localhost`
- Check browser DevTools → Application → Cookies
- Verify `domain=.lvh.me` is set on cookies
- Clear cookies and try again

### Redirect issues?
- Check `/src/pages/LoginPage.tsx` redirect logic
- Verify user role and business_subdomain in response
- Check browser console for navigation errors

### Can't access lvh.me?
- Verify internet connection (lvh.me requires DNS lookup)
- Try `ping lvh.me` - should resolve to `127.0.0.1`
- Alternative: Use `127.0.0.1.nip.io` (similar service)

## References

- [RFC 6265 - HTTP State Management Mechanism](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6265)
- [lvh.me DNS service](http://lvh.me)
- [Cookie Domain Attribute Rules](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1062963/how-do-browser-cookie-domains-work)
