Letters from Australia

Overview

Letters from Australia is a web application that showcases a collection of heartfelt letters written by Margareta to her mom in Sweden during the early 1970s. These letters detail the experiences and adventures of Margareta, her husband Stig, and their son Per as they settled into their new life in Australia. The letters offer a unique glimpse into everyday life and the world as it was back then. After Margareta's passing in 2017, her sons preserved and published these letters to keep her story alive.

The website serves as a tribute to Margareta's life and legacy and is designed to be simple, privacy-focused, and accessible.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have met the following requirements:

• Docker: This project uses Docker to simplify the setup process. Ensure Docker and Docker Compose are installed on your system.

• Git: For cloning the repository.

• Heroku CLI (optional for Heroku deployment): If you plan to deploy this project to Heroku, you'll need the Heroku CLI installed on your Mac. You can install it via Homebrew with the following command:

  brew tap heroku/brew && brew install heroku

Installation

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/fregrit/letters-from-australia.git
   cd letters-from-australia

2. Configure Environment

   Ensure you have the necessary environment variables and configuration files in place. Modify config/master.php if needed.

3. Build, Start, and Run the Application

   Use the make command to build the Docker image, start or restart the application, and run any necessary PHP scripts.

   make

   This command checks if the Docker container is running. If it is, it will restart the container. If not, it will build and start the application, then execute any scripts in the build-scripts directory.

4. Access the Application

   Once the Docker containers are running, you can access the application by navigating to:

   http://localhost:8080
   

Heroku Deployment

This project includes a Procfile that makes it easy to deploy to Heroku. The Procfile specifies the commands needed to run the application on Heroku using Apache and PHP.

Setting Up Heroku on a Mac

1. Install the Heroku CLI (if not already installed):

   brew tap heroku/brew && brew install heroku

2. Log in to Heroku:

   heroku login

3. Create a Heroku App:

   heroku create

4. Deploy to Heroku:

   Simply push your code to Heroku:

   git push heroku main

   Heroku will automatically use the Procfile to set up the application.

5. Open Your Deployed App:

   After deployment, open your app in the browser:

   heroku open

With these steps, you'll have the application running on Heroku, leveraging the Procfile configuration for an easy and streamlined deployment process.

Usage

• Viewing Letters: The application displays letters in a user-friendly format, allowing you to browse through the collection, read individual letters, and explore related content.
• Filtering: Use the filters provided to narrow down letters by keywords, people, or specific dates.
• Language Switch: The website supports both Swedish and English. Use the language switcher in the header to toggle between languages.

Customization

• Apache Configuration: Modify apache.conf to adjust the Apache server settings.
• PHP Configuration: The php.ini file contains the PHP settings. Adjust memory limits, error display settings, etc., as needed.
• Translations: Translations are managed via the translations.json file in the data directory. Update or add new translations as required.

Development

If you're planning to contribute or further develop this project, here are a few tips:

• Source Code: The primary source code resides in the www, include, and templates directories.
• Logging: Logs are stored in the logs directory. The Makefile includes a target to monitor logs (make logs).
• Composer: Manage PHP dependencies using Composer. The composer.json and composer.lock files are included.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please submit a pull request with a detailed description of the changes.

License

This project is open-source and licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgements

This project is dedicated to Margareta, with deep gratitude for her life and the legacy she left behind. Thank you to everyone who has supported the creation and preservation of this piece of history.