DTRules
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Quick Start (UI)

Get the visual UI running in under 5 minutes.

Prerequisites

Verify installation:

node --version   # Should show v18.x.x or higher
go version       # Should show go1.21.x or higher

Step 1: Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/dtrules/dtrules.git
cd DTRules

Step 2: Start the Backend

Open a terminal and run:

cd go
go run ./cmd/api

You should see:

DTRules API Server starting on :8080

Leave this terminal running.

Step 3: Start the Frontend

Open a new terminal and run:

cd ui
npm install      # First time only - installs dependencies
npm run dev

You should see:

VITE v5.x.x  ready in xxx ms

➜  Local:   http://localhost:5173/

Step 4: Open the UI

  1. Open your browser to http://localhost:5173
  2. You'll see the DTRules welcome screen

Step 5: Open a Project

Click "Start Tutorial" or "Open Sample Project" to load the CHIP sample project.

Alternatively, click "Open Custom Project" and enter the path to a DTRules project:

OS Example Path
Linux /home/username/DTRules/sampleprojects/CHIP/xml
macOS /Users/username/DTRules/sampleprojects/CHIP/xml
Windows C:\Users\username\DTRules\sampleprojects\CHIP\xml
Tip: Use the absolute path to your cloned DTRules repository.

Step 6: Explore

Once the project loads, you can:

  • Left Panel - Browse entities and decision tables
  • Entity Tab - View/edit entity definitions (EDD)
  • Decision Table Tab - View/edit decision tables with color-coded cells
  • Test Tab - Execute rules with test data and see traces
  • Tree Tab - Visualize decision table call hierarchy

Architecture

┌─────────────┐     HTTP      ┌─────────────┐
│   Browser   │◄────────────►│  Go Backend │
│  (React UI) │   :5173      │  (API)      │
│             │              │   :8080     │
└─────────────┘              └──────┬──────┘
                                   │
                                   ▼
                            ┌─────────────┐
                            │  XML Files  │
                            │  (EDD, DT)  │
                            └─────────────┘

Troubleshooting

"Failed to fetch" or "Network Error"

The backend isn't running. Make sure you started it:

cd go
go run ./cmd/api

"npm install" fails

Try clearing the cache:

cd ui
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

Port already in use

Backend (8080):

# Find and kill the process using port 8080
lsof -i :8080
kill <PID>

Frontend (5173):

# Vite will automatically try the next port (5174, etc.)
# Or kill the existing process
lsof -i :5173
kill <PID>

Project won't open

  • Verify the path exists and contains *_edd.xml and *_dt.xml files
  • Use an absolute path (starting with / on Linux/Mac or C:\ on Windows)
  • Check the backend terminal for error messages

Quick Reference

Action Command
Start backend cd go && go run ./cmd/api
Start frontend cd ui && npm run dev
Build frontend cd ui && npm run build
Run Go tests cd go && go test ./...
Type check UI cd ui && npm run typecheck

Next Steps