Stirling-PDF/CLAUDE.md

CLAUDE.md

This file provides guidance to Claude Code (claude.ai/code) when working with code in this repository.

Common Development Commands

Build and Test

• Build project: ./gradlew clean build
• Run locally: ./gradlew bootRun
• Full test suite: ./test.sh (builds all Docker variants and runs comprehensive tests)
• Code formatting: ./gradlew spotlessApply (runs automatically before compilation)

Docker Development

• Build ultra-lite: docker build -t stirlingtools/stirling-pdf:latest-ultra-lite -f ./Dockerfile.ultra-lite .
• Build standard: docker build -t stirlingtools/stirling-pdf:latest -f ./Dockerfile .
• Build fat version: docker build -t stirlingtools/stirling-pdf:latest-fat -f ./Dockerfile.fat .
• Example compose files: Located in exampleYmlFiles/ directory

Security Mode Development

Set DOCKER_ENABLE_SECURITY=true environment variable to enable security features during development. This is required for testing the full version locally.

Frontend Development

• Frontend dev server: cd frontend && npm run dev (requires backend on localhost:8080)
• Tech Stack: Vite + React + TypeScript + Mantine UI + TailwindCSS
• Proxy Configuration: Vite proxies /api/* calls to backend (localhost:8080)
• Build Process: DO NOT run build scripts manually - builds are handled by CI/CD pipelines
• Package Installation: DO NOT run npm install commands - package management handled separately

Tailwind CSS Setup (if not already installed)

cd frontend
npm install -D tailwindcss postcss autoprefixer
npx tailwindcss init -p

Architecture Overview

Project Structure

• Backend: Spring Boot application with Thymeleaf templating
• Frontend: React-based SPA in /frontend directory (replacing legacy Thymeleaf templates)
  • Current Status: Active development to replace Thymeleaf UI with modern React SPA
  • File Storage: IndexedDB for client-side file persistence and thumbnails
  • Internationalization: JSON-based translations (converted from backend .properties)
  • URL Parameters: Deep linking support for tool states and configurations
• PDF Processing: PDFBox for core PDF operations, LibreOffice for conversions, PDF.js for client-side rendering
• Security: Spring Security with optional authentication (controlled by DOCKER_ENABLE_SECURITY)
• Configuration: YAML-based configuration with environment variable overrides

Controller Architecture

• API Controllers (src/main/java/.../controller/api/): REST endpoints for PDF operations
  • Organized by function: converters, security, misc, pipeline
  • Follow pattern: @RestController + @RequestMapping("/api/v1/...")
• Web Controllers (src/main/java/.../controller/web/): Serve Thymeleaf templates
  • Pattern: @Controller + return template names

Key Components

• SPDFApplication.java: Main application class with desktop UI and browser launching logic
• ConfigInitializer: Handles runtime configuration and settings files
• Pipeline System: Automated PDF processing workflows via PipelineController
• Security Layer: Authentication, authorization, and user management (when enabled)

Template System (Legacy + Modern)

• Legacy Thymeleaf Templates: Located in src/main/resources/templates/ (being phased out)
• Modern React Components: Located in frontend/src/components/ and frontend/src/tools/
• Static Assets: CSS, JS, and resources in src/main/resources/static/ (legacy) + frontend/public/ (modern)
• Internationalization:
  • Backend: messages_*.properties files
  • Frontend: JSON files in frontend/public/locales/ (converted from .properties)
  • Conversion Script: scripts/convert_properties_to_json.py

Configuration Modes

• Ultra-lite: Basic PDF operations only
• Standard: Full feature set
• Fat: Pre-downloaded dependencies for air-gapped environments
• Security Mode: Adds authentication, user management, and enterprise features

Testing Strategy

• Integration Tests: Cucumber tests in testing/cucumber/
• Docker Testing: test.sh validates all Docker variants
• Manual Testing: No unit tests currently - relies on UI and API testing

Development Workflow

1. Local Development:
   • Backend: ./gradlew bootRun (runs on localhost:8080)
   • Frontend: cd frontend && npm run dev (runs on localhost:5173, proxies to backend)
2. Docker Testing: Use ./test.sh before submitting PRs
3. Code Style: Spotless enforces Google Java Format automatically
4. Translations:
   • Backend: Use helper scripts in /scripts for multi-language updates
   • Frontend: Update JSON files in frontend/public/locales/ or use conversion script
5. Documentation: API docs auto-generated and available at /swagger-ui/index.html

Frontend Migration Notes

• Current Branch: feature/react-overhaul - Active React SPA development
• Migration Status: Core tools (Split, Merge, Compress) converted to React with URL parameter support
• File Management: Implemented IndexedDB storage with thumbnail generation using PDF.js
• Tools Architecture: Each tool receives params and updateParams for URL state synchronization
• Remaining Work: Convert remaining Thymeleaf templates to React components

Important Notes

• Java Version: Minimum JDK 17, supports and recommends JDK 21
• Lombok: Used extensively - ensure IDE plugin is installed
• Desktop Mode: Set STIRLING_PDF_DESKTOP_UI=true for desktop application mode
• File Persistence:
  • Backend: Designed to be stateless - files are processed in memory/temp locations only
  • Frontend: Uses IndexedDB for client-side file storage and caching (with thumbnails)
• Security: When DOCKER_ENABLE_SECURITY=false, security-related classes are excluded from compilation

Communication Style

• Be direct and to the point
• No apologies or conversational filler
• Answer questions directly without preamble
• Explain reasoning concisely when asked
• Avoid unnecessary elaboration

Decision Making

• Ask clarifying questions before making assumptions
• Stop and ask when uncertain about project-specific details
• Confirm approach before making structural changes
• Request guidance on preferences (cross-platform vs specific tools, etc.)
• Verify understanding of requirements before proceeding