Overview
This documentation site is the central reference for Polk County software projects, application guidance, engineering standards, and developer tooling.
Use this page as the starting point for finding the right section quickly. The docs are organized around two primary needs:
- Helping application users understand how to access and use supported systems
- Helping software engineers build, review, deploy, and maintain those systems consistently
Start Here
Section titled “Start Here”Choose the path that best matches what you are trying to do.
| Need | Start with |
|---|---|
| Use a Polk County application | Applications |
| Set up a development environment | Developer Tools |
| Build or maintain a service | Architecture |
| Work in Go or TypeScript | Languages |
| Open or review a pull request | Branching Strategy and Code Review |
| Write commits consistently | Commit Messages |
Applications
Section titled “Applications”The application guides document supported Polk County systems and the workflows users need to complete common tasks.
Current application sections include:
Software Engineering
Section titled “Software Engineering”The software engineering section defines how the team builds and maintains software. It is the best starting point for engineers joining a project or making technical decisions.
Architecture
Section titled “Architecture”Architecture docs define default platform and implementation choices for new and existing systems:
- Cloud Platforms - Guidance for choosing between DigitalOcean and Microsoft Azure
- Databases - PostgreSQL standards and database design expectations
- Docker - Containerization standards for local development, CI, and deployment
- Languages - Go and TypeScript standards, package guidance, testing, and project structure
Use these pages before introducing new infrastructure, frameworks, data stores, or service patterns.
Developer Tools
Section titled “Developer Tools”Developer tool docs cover the applications and platforms used for day-to-day engineering work:
- VS Code and Terminal for local development setup
- GitHub and GitHub Actions for source control, pull requests, automation, and deployments
- OpenAI Codex and GitHub Copilot for AI-assisted development workflows
- Figma, Mailgun, and Twilio for design and external service integrations
Use these pages when setting up a machine, configuring an editor, connecting a service, or standardizing a project workflow.
Standards
Section titled “Standards”Standards docs describe the expected workflow for shared repositories:
- Branching Strategy - GitHub Flow, branch naming, pull requests, and keeping branches current
- Code Review - Review expectations, approval requirements, and reviewer responsibilities
- Commit Messages - Conventional Commits format and commitlint setup
Use these pages before opening a pull request or changing repository workflow conventions.
Recommended First Steps
Section titled “Recommended First Steps”Application users should start with the getting started page for the system they need to use, then continue to the related user management or role documentation when account access is involved.
New engineers should start with:
- Terminal to set up the baseline macOS development environment
- VS Code to configure the primary editor and recommended extensions
- GitHub to understand source control and pull request expectations
- Branching Strategy and Commit Messages before making the first project contribution
- The relevant language guide for the project: Go or TypeScript