How I set up an Elixir project#

A short checklist for every new Elixir project: the libraries I use and the rules I apply.

Libraries#

• Ecto: database (PostgreSQL).
• Phoenix: web layer and APIs.
• LiveView: the UI, when possible.
• daisyUI: UI components on top of Tailwind, when I build the frontend.
• Req + Finch: HTTP requests. Easy to test: Req.Test mocks the responses.
• Swoosh: emails, with HTML templates rendered by Phoenix. Easy to test with its test adapter.
• Guardian: authentication.
• OpenApiSpex: OpenAPI spec of the APIs, request validation, Swagger UI.
• Oban: background jobs.
• PromEx: Prometheus metrics.

Rules#

• Folders by feature: Organize code by feature, not by type.
• Errors: one Error struct, caught only where you can handle them: Errors: model them once, catch them once.
• Docker: always containerized.
  • A Mix release in a multi-stage image (mix phx.gen.release --docker).
  • A health route (e.g. GET /health) for the container health check.
  • Built and labeled in CI following Docker containers management.