Last updated: 25 Oct 2024

govuk-docker: How to Publish Content to a Finder in GOV.UK Docker

This guide explains how to use GOV.UK Docker to develop features for finders, and how to publish content to test your finder with locally. The instructions below assume that you have "made" all of the relevant projects before starting.

This has been tested predominantly using Specialist Publisher, but other publishing apps should work just as well.

1. Start your publishing app of choice, e.g. govuk-docker up specialist-publisher-app

2. Start the finder-frontend app: govuk-docker up finder-frontend-app

3. Create a router backend for finder frontend:

   curl http://router-api.dev.gov.uk/backends/finder-frontend -X PUT \
   -H 'Content-type: application/json' \
   -d '{"backend": {"backend_url": "http://finder-frontend.dev.gov.uk/"}}
   

4. Create a router backend for Search API:

   curl http://router-api.dev.gov.uk/backends/search-api -X PUT \
   -H 'Content-type: application/json' \
   -d '{"backend": {"backend_url": "http://search-api.dev.gov.uk/"}}'
   

5. Create a router backend for frontend (this is needed to serve the root taxon created in step 8):

   curl http://router-api.dev.gov.uk/backends/frontend -X PUT \
     -H 'Content-type: application/json' \
     -d '{"backend": {"backend_url": "http://frontend.dev.gov.uk/"}}'
   

6. Create a router backend for collections (this is needed to serve the test taxon created in step 9):

   curl http://router-api.dev.gov.uk/backends/collections -X PUT \
     -H 'Content-type: application/json' \
     -d '{"backend": {"backend_url": "http://collections.dev.gov.uk/"}}'
   

7. Publish special routes by running govuk-docker run publishing-api-lite bundle exec rake special_routes:publish.

8. Publish Search API's routes by running govuk-docker exec search-api-app bundle exec rake publishing_api:publish_special_routes.

9. Publish the root taxon for GOV.UK: govuk-docker run publishing-api-lite rake special_routes:publish_homepage

10. Publish a test taxon:

    govuk-docker run whitehall-lite rails taxonomy:populate_end_to_end_test_data
    govuk-docker run whitehall-lite rails taxonomy:rebuild_cache
    

11. Create the search indices: govuk-docker exec search-api-app env SEARCH_INDEX=all bundle exec rake search:create_all_indices

12. Create the publishing api RabbitMQ exchange so that Search API can listen for new content to index: govuk-docker exec publishing-api-app bundle exec rake setup_exchange

13. Create the search API message queues: govuk-docker exec search-api-worker bundle exec rake message_queue:create_queues

14. Run govuk-docker exec search-api-worker bundle exec rake message_queue:insert_data_into_govuk to listen for messages. This is a long-running process, so you may want to start it in the background.

15. Publish your specialist finder or general finder page.

    • For a specialist finder: govuk-docker exec specialist-publisher-app bundle exec rails publishing_api:publish_finder\[finder_name\]
    • For a general finder, e.g. the all content finder: govuk-docker exec search-api-app env FINDER_CONFIG=all_content_finder.yml bundle exec rake publishing_api:publish_finder

16. Publish a document. It should show up in the search results.