# SchoolCompare project context

## Maintained documentation

Read [README.md](README.md), [docs/ARCHITECTURE.md](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) and
[docs/DEVELOPMENT.md](docs/DEVELOPMENT.md) for the current implementation.
[docs/LEGACY_CODE.md](docs/LEGACY_CODE.md) records obsolete paths and deliberate
compatibility code. Historical design documents are not current setup instructions.

## Architecture constraints

- Next.js serves the public UI. FastAPI serves school data from dbt-built `marts.*`.
  The backend does not create school tables or import CSVs at startup.
- School coverage spans England and multiple phases, not only primary schools in
  Wandsworth and Merton.
- `/api/*` belongs to the FastAPI proxy. Payload uses `/cms-api` and `/admin`.
- Payload runs inside Next.js, with its own `payload` schema and persistent media.
  Keep CMS migrations independent of school-data transformations.
- Public and Payload route groups have separate root layouts. Do not introduce
  `app/layout.tsx`. Keep site-wide metadata files at the `app/` root.
- Builds must succeed with `DATABASE_URL` unset. Do not call `getCachedPayload()`
  at module scope or add DB-backed `generateStaticParams`.
- After changing CMS fields/editors, run `npm run generate:importmap` and commit
  the generated import map. See `nextjs-app/docs/PUBLISHING.md`.
- The backend and pipeline GIAS dictionary copies are generated together; preserve
  their parity. Tests enforce it.

## SDLC

Follow [docs/DEPLOY.md](docs/DEPLOY.md).

- Never push directly to `main`. Use a feature branch and a PR with passing checks.
- Merges deploy staging only. Production promotion is a separate human decision;
  do not trigger the promotion workflow yourself.
- Update E2E journeys in the same PR when changing user-facing behaviour.
- Do not attempt to start a local server to test the application; use unit checks
  and the configured integration environment.