Development Guide

This section is for developers contributing to Enclave Messenger.

Repository layout

See Architecture for a detailed map of the codebase.

Key directories:

• core/ - Core logic (crypto, network, plugins, storage).
• templates/ - Web UI templates.
• test_*.py - Test suite.
• docs/ - This documentation.

Setting up a development environment

1. Clone the repo and create a virtualenv (see Installation).
2. Install dependencies:

bash pip install -r requirements.txt

1. Install development tools (optional but recommended):

bash pip install pytest

Coding conventions

• Use clear, descriptive names for functions and variables.
• Keep modules focused; avoid god objects.
• Add type hints where practical.
• Write tests for new features and bug fixes.

Running Enclave during development

Use separate terminals for multiple profiles:

# Terminal 1
python tui.py

# Terminal 2
python tui.py

Or mix TUI and web:

# Terminal 1
python tui.py

# Terminal 2
python web.py

The launch-two-instances.sh script can help automate this in one terminal but isnt recommend because its very annoying.

Updating documentation

When adding features or changing behavior:

• Update relevant docs in docs/ of this repo.
• Update README.md if behavior changes that is visible to the user. ie if you changed the templates/chat.html.
• Keep security-relevant changes reflected in Security Model.