NexisChat Docs
Server

Server Development & Testing

How to run the NexisChat server locally and execute the automated test suite with the required PostgreSQL dependencies.

The apps/server package powers the NexisChat backend. Use this guide when you need to spin it up locally or run the Vitest-based test suite.

Local Development

npm install
npm run dev
open http://localhost:3000

These commands install dependencies, start the development server, and open the default landing page in your browser.

Testing

Prerequisites

Tests require a PostgreSQL instance. The quickest option is Docker:

docker run -d \
  --name nexischat-test-db \
  -e POSTGRES_USER=postgres \
  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres \
  -e POSTGRES_DB=nexis_chat_test \
  -p 5432:5432 \
  postgres:16-alpine

Run the Suite

pnpm test

Test Environment Variables

Tests load configuration from .env.test. Create it from .env.example if it is missing. The most important values are:

  • DATABASE_URL: PostgreSQL connection string (default postgres://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/nexis_chat_test).
  • CI=true: Skips strict environment validation during automated runs.
  • NODE_ENV=test: Ensures the app boots in test mode.

With the database running and the environment file in place, pnpm test will exercise all server unit and integration tests.

API Reference

Official Evolution API Lite endpoints and schemas are documented externally.

Mock Mode

Run the WhatsApp Web Server against a fully mocked Evolution API for manual testing without pairing a real WhatsApp client.