IDE Setup Guide - Using Docker Container Packages

This guide helps you configure your IDE to use the Python packages installed in the Docker container, eliminating import warnings and providing proper Django development support.

🚨 The Problem

You're seeing import warnings like:

Import "django.conf" could not be resolved
Import "django.contrib" could not be resolved

This happens because your IDE doesn't know about: 1. The Django environment setup in the Docker container 2. The correct Python path (src/ directory) 3. Django's settings module 4. The UV-managed packages in /home/python/.local/

✅ Solutions Implemented

1. VS Code Remote Container (.devcontainer/devcontainer.json)

• ✅ Full Docker container development environment
• ✅ Pre-configured with all necessary extensions
• ✅ Automatic Python path configuration
• ✅ Port forwarding for Django (8000) and Flower (5555)

2. VS Code Configuration (.vscode/settings.json)

• ✅ Added Docker container Python paths
• ✅ Configured Django-aware type checking
• ✅ Set up proper Python interpreter path
• ✅ Enabled auto-import completions
• ✅ Added Docker terminal integration

3. Pyright Configuration (pyrightconfig.json)

• ✅ Configured Python path and version (3.14)
• ✅ Set up execution environment for Docker container
• ✅ Enabled workspace-wide type checking
• ✅ Added Docker container site-packages path

4. Project Configuration (pyproject.toml)

• ✅ Added Pyright and MyPy tool configurations
• ✅ Set Python version and paths
• ✅ Configured type checking mode

5. Docker IDE Setup Script (scripts/setup-docker-ide.sh)

• ✅ Automated IDE configuration
• ✅ Creates VS Code workspace file
• ✅ Generates PyCharm configuration
• ✅ Tests Django imports in container

🔧 How to Apply the Fix

Option 1: Automated Setup (Recommended)

Run the setup script to automatically configure your IDE:

./scripts/setup-docker-ide.sh

This will: - Check Docker is running - Build containers if needed - Extract Python paths from container - Create VS Code workspace file - Generate PyCharm configuration - Test Django imports

Option 2: VS Code Remote Container (Best Experience)

1. Install Remote Containers extension
2. Open command palette: Cmd+Shift+P
3. Select: "Remote-Containers: Reopen in Container"
4. Wait for container to build and start
5. Enjoy full Docker development environment!

Option 3: Manual VS Code Configuration

1. Open VS Code workspace: code laboratory-system.code-workspace
2. Select Python interpreter: Cmd+Shift+P → "Python: Select Interpreter"
3. Choose Docker container Python: /home/python/.local/bin/python
4. Restart language server: Cmd+Shift+P → "Python: Restart Language Server"

For Other IDEs:

PyCharm:

1. Run setup script: ./scripts/setup-docker-ide.sh
2. Open project in PyCharm
3. Configure interpreter: File → Settings → Project → Python Interpreter
4. Add remote interpreter: Docker → Use Docker Compose
5. Select service: web
6. Set interpreter path: /home/python/.local/bin/python

Cursor:

1. Use VS Code settings (compatible)
2. Or use Remote Container approach
3. Restart Cursor after configuration

Vim/Neovim with LSP:

Add to your LSP config:

-- For nvim-lspconfig
require('lspconfig').pyright.setup({
    settings = {
        python = {
            analysis = {
                extraPaths = {
                    "./src",
                    "/home/python/.local/lib/python3.14/site-packages"
                },
                typeCheckingMode = "basic"
            }
        }
    }
})

🧪 Testing the Fix

After applying the configuration:

1. Open any Django file (e.g., src/accounts/views.py)
2. Check the Problems panel - import warnings should be gone
3. Try auto-completion - Django imports should work
4. Hover over Django classes - you should see type information

🐳 Docker Development

Since this project runs in Docker, the IDE configuration is designed to work with: - Local development: IDE resolves imports for better editing experience - Docker execution: Actual code runs in the container with proper Django setup

📁 File Structure

laboratory-system/
├── .vscode/
│   └── settings.json          # VS Code configuration
├── pyrightconfig.json         # Pyright type checker config
├── pyproject.toml            # Project config with tool settings
├── setup-dev.py              # Development setup script
└── src/                      # Django project root
    ├── config/
    ├── accounts/
    ├── protocols/
    └── pages/

🔍 Troubleshooting

If warnings persist:

1. Check Python interpreter:

   # In VS Code: Cmd+Shift+P → "Python: Select Interpreter"
   # Make sure it points to your Python installation
   

2. Verify Django installation:

   python -c "import django; print(django.get_version())"
   

3. Restart language server:

4. VS Code: Cmd+Shift+P → "Python: Restart Language Server"

5. Cursor: Similar command

6. Clear cache:

   # Remove Python cache
   find . -name "__pycache__" -type d -exec rm -rf {} +
   

For Docker-only development:

If you only develop inside Docker and don't have Django installed locally:

1. Install Django locally (for IDE support):

   pip install django==5.2.7
   

2. Or use remote development:

3. VS Code Remote Containers extension
4. Develop directly inside the Docker container

📚 Additional Resources

• Django IDE Setup Guide
• VS Code Python Configuration
• Pyright Configuration

✅ Verification

After setup, you should see: - ✅ No import warnings in Problems panel - ✅ Django auto-completion working - ✅ Type hints for Django classes - ✅ Proper syntax highlighting - ✅ Go-to-definition working for Django imports

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Note: These configurations are designed to work with the existing Docker-based development workflow while providing better IDE support for local editing.