update readme

Author: javinchua

project/README.md

@@ -1,17 +1,23 @@
+# Project
+
+This Turborepo includes a Next.js frontend, a NestJS API gateway, and NestJS microservices, using shadcn/ui for CSS and Zod for validation.
+
 ## Layout
 
 This Turborepo includes the following packages/apps:
 
 ### Apps
 
-- `web`: another [Next.js](https://nextjs.org/) app
+- `web`: [Next.js](https://nextjs.org/) app for the frontend
 - `api-gateway`: [NestJS](https://nestjs.com/) backend serving as an entry point into microservices
-- `questions-service`: [NestJS](https://nestjs.com/) backend handling all questions related functions.
+- `questions-service`: [NestJS](https://nestjs.com/) backend handling all questions related functions
 
 ### Packages
 
 - `@repo/eslint-config`: `eslint` configurations (includes `eslint-config-next` and `eslint-config-prettier`)
 - `@repo/typescript-config`: `tsconfig.json`s used throughout the monorepo
+- `@repo/dtos`: Shared DTOs and Zod schemas
+- `@repo/pipes`: Shared NestJS pipes
 
 Each package/app is 100% [TypeScript](https://www.typescriptlang.org/).
 
@@ -20,6 +26,10 @@ Each package/app is 100% [TypeScript](https://www.typescriptlang.org/).
 - [TypeScript](https://www.typescriptlang.org/) for static type checking
 - [ESLint](https://eslint.org/) for code linting
 - [Prettier](https://prettier.io) for code formatting
+- [shadcn/ui](https://ui.shadcn.com/) for CSS
+- [Zod](https://zod.dev/) for validation
+
+## Getting Started
 
 ### Build
 
@@ -37,3 +47,68 @@ To develop all apps and packages, run the following command:
 pnpm install
 pnpm dev
 ```
+
+## Development Guide
+
+### Frontend Development
+
+The frontend is located in `apps/web`. This is a Next.js application where you'll develop your user interface.
+
+### Creating a New Microservice
+
+To create a new microservice:
+
+1. Navigate to the `apps` directory
+2. Run the following command:
+   ```
+   nest new {service} --strict --skip-git --package-manager=pnpm
+   ```
+   Replace `{service}` with the name of your new microservice.
+
+### Integrating a New Microservice
+
+After creating a new microservice, you need to integrate it with the API gateway:
+
+1. Register the microservice client in `api-gateway/src/api-gateway-module.ts`
+2. Create a new controller within `api-gateway/src/{service}` which redirects requests to the microservice. You can follow the format of `api-gateway/src/questions/questions.controller.ts`
+
+### Shared Packages
+
+- `packages/dtos`: This is where we define our schemas and DTOs using Zod. These can be shared across the frontend and backend, and are used for validation pipes on the backend.
+- `packages/pipes`: This is where we store pipes to be shared across NestJS apps.
+
+### Using Shared Packages
+
+To use packages in other packages or apps:
+
+1. Add the package name (found in that package's `package.json`) to the `package.json` of your target app or package.
+2. You can then import it in your code.
+
+### Validation
+
+We use Zod for validation across the project. Define your schemas in `packages/dtos`, and use them for both frontend and backend validation.
+
+### Styling
+
+We use shadcn/ui for CSS. Refer to the [shadcn/ui documentation](https://ui.shadcn.com/) for usage instructions.
+
+## Best Practices
+
+- Keep your microservices small and focused on a specific domain.
+- Use the shared DTOs for consistency between frontend and backend.
+- Leverage the API gateway for cross-cutting concerns like authentication.
+- Write unit tests for your services and controllers.
+- Use Zod schemas for both runtime validation and TypeScript type inference.
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+If you encounter any issues:
+
+1. Ensure all dependencies are installed with `pnpm install`
+2. Check that you're using the correct Node.js version (specified in `.nvmrc`)
+3. Clear your build cache with `pnpm clean`
+4. If problems persist, please open an issue in the repository
+
+## Contributing
+
+Please read our [Contributing Guide](CONTRIBUTING.md) for details on our code of conduct and the process for submitting pull requests.) backend handling all questions related functions.