backend-setup-stack

Skill: Docker + PostgreSQL + npm Server + ORM Architecture Setup

Objective

To scaffold a containerized local development ecosystem that connects an npm backend server to a Dockerized PostgreSQL instance via an ORM, establishing automated, version-controlled database migrations.

Phase 1: Environment Assessment & State Initialization

1. Check capabilities: Confirm whether you have filesystem write access and shell execution access.
   • If yes, perform actions and report outputs.
   • If no, output exact commands and file contents and ask the user to execute them.
2. Analyze Requirements: Scan the user's prompt for specific configuration choices:
   • If the user does not specify an ORM, select Prisma.
   • Only select Sequelize if the user explicitly includes the exact token Sequelize (case-insensitive).
   • If both ORMs are mentioned or the request is ambiguous, ask: "Which ORM do you prefer: Prisma or Sequelize?"
   • Chosen web framework (e.g., Express, Fastify).
   • Custom port preferences (default to 3000 for server, 5432 for DB).
3. Anchor State to Disk: If you have write access, create or update .claude_history/setup_status.md in the project root with the chosen ORM, DB connection string, and initialization checklist. If you do not have write access, print the exact commands and file contents to create or update that file and ask the user to confirm.

Phase 2: Structural Scaffolding & ORM Initialization

If running as an agent with filesystem access, execute the following commands and report results. Otherwise, print the exact shell commands and file contents and ask the user to run them.

1. Confirm Docker availability:
   • Run docker --version and docker-compose --version.
   • If either command is missing, instruct: "Install Docker Desktop (https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop) or run your platform's Docker install instructions" and abort further steps.
2. Initialize npm if no package.json exists: npm init -y
3. Install the core backend and database dependencies:
   • For Express apps: npm install express
   • For Prisma: npm install @prisma/client and npm install -D prisma
   • For Sequelize: npm install sequelize pg pg-hstore and npm install -D sequelize-cli
   • If using nodemon for development, also run npm install -D nodemon
4. Ensure package.json contains a dev script. If absent, add one before running:
   • Example: npm pkg set scripts.dev "node server.js"
   • Or: npm pkg set scripts.dev "nodemon server.js"
5. Trigger the ORM initialization command:
   • Prisma: npx prisma init (generates /prisma/schema.prisma and updates .env)
   • Sequelize: npx sequelize-cli init (generates /models, /migrations, /seeders, /config)