📚 How to Launch a REPL for Creating Tower Objects in Your Local Database

docs/general/how-to-launch-a-repl-for-creating-tower-objects-in-your-loca.md

@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+# How to Launch a REPL for Creating Tower Objects in Your Local Database
+
+## Overview
+
+This guide explains how to start an interactive environment (REPL: Read–Eval–Print Loop) that you can use to run Python and SQLAlchemy code to create and manipulate Tower objects in your local database.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+Based on the Slack discussion, the following are implied:
+
+- A local database instance is running and accessible.
+- The `psql` command-line client is installed (for PostgreSQL databases).
+- The Tower application codebase is available locally.
+- Python and SQLAlchemy are installed and configured as part of the Tower project.
+- You have (or can create) a Python script or entry point that initializes:
+  - The SQLAlchemy engine and session
+  - The Tower models (including the `Tower` object)
+
+> Note: The original Slack thread referenced a “makeshift REPL script” and mentioned uncertainty about a canonical or official REPL entry point. This guide assumes you will either use `psql` directly or a custom Python REPL script.
+
+## Step-by-Step Instructions
+
+### Option 1: Use `psql` for Direct SQL Access
+
+If you only need to interact with the database at the SQL level (not via SQLAlchemy models):
+
+1. Open a terminal.
+2. Connect to your local database using `psql`:
+   ```bash
+   psql <connection-args>
+   ```
+   Replace `<connection-args>` with your actual connection parameters, for example:
+   ```bash
+   psql -h localhost -p 5432 -U your_user -d your_database
+   ```
+3. Once connected, you can run SQL commands directly to inspect or modify data related to Tower objects.
+
+### Option 2: Use a Python REPL with SQLAlchemy (Recommended for Tower Objects)
+
+To create and manipulate Tower objects via SQLAlchemy, you need a Python REPL that:
+
+- Imports your Tower models
+- Initializes the SQLAlchemy session
+- Connects to your local database
+
+If you already have a makeshift REPL script (as mentioned in the Slack thread):
+
+1. Locate the script in your Tower project (for example, something like `scripts/repl.py` or similar).
+2. Run it from the project root:
+   ```bash
+   python path/to/your_repl_script.py
+   ```
+3. Inside the REPL, you should be able to write SQLAlchemy queries such as:
+   ```python
+   from your_project.models import Tower
+   from your_project.db import session
+
+   new_tower = Tower(name="Example Tower")
+   session.add(new_tower)
+   session.commit()
+   ```
+
+If you do **not** have a REPL script yet, you can create a simple one:
+
+1. Create a file, for example `repl.py`, in your project root:
+   ```python
+   # repl.py
+   from your_project.db import SessionLocal  # or your session factory
+   from your_project.models import Tower     # import your Tower model
+
+   session = SessionLocal()
+
+   # Optional: print a helper message
+   print("REPL started. 'session' is a SQLAlchemy session; 'Tower' is the model.")
+
+   # Drop into an interactive shell
+   import code
+   code.interact(local=globals())
+   ```
+2. Run it:
+   ```bash
+   python repl.py
+   ```
+3. In the interactive shell, you can now create Tower objects:
+   ```python
+   t = Tower(name="My Local Tower")
+   session.add(t)
+   session.commit()
+   ```
+
+## Important Notes and Caveats
+
+- **Canonical REPL entry point**: The Slack conversation indicates uncertainty about whether there is an official or “canonical” REPL script for the Tower project. If consistency is important, confirm with the team whether such a script exists (for example, a `manage.py shell` or `poetry run app shell`-style command).
+- **Environment configuration**: Ensure that any environment variables required for database connection (e.g., `DATABASE_URL`) are set before launching the REPL.
+- **Production vs. local**: Double-check that your REPL is pointing to your **local** database, not a shared or production database, before creating or modifying Tower objects.
+- **Session management**: Remember to commit (`session.commit()`) or roll back (`session.rollback()`) transactions as needed. Leaving uncommitted changes may cause confusion in subsequent sessions.
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+- **“I don’t understand the question” / unclear requirements**  
+  If you are unsure what you want to create or how Tower objects are defined:
+  - Review the Tower model definitions in your project (e.g., `models/tower.py`).
+  - Clarify with your team what specific objects or data you need to work with.
+
+- **Cannot find the REPL script**  
+  - Search the repository for likely filenames:
+    ```bash
+    find . -iname "*repl*.py" -o -iname "*shell*.py"
+    ```
+  - Check project documentation or `README` files for any mention of a shell/REPL command.
+  - Ask the team if there is a standard entry point (e.g., `make shell`, `poetry run shell`, or similar).
+
+- **Database connection errors in REPL**  
+  - Verify your database is running locally.
+  - Confirm your connection string or environment variables.
+  - Test connectivity with `psql`:
+    ```bash
+    psql <connection-args>
+    ```
+    If this fails, fix the database connection before using the Python REPL.
+
+## Additional Information Needed (Gaps from the Original Answer)
+
+The Slack discussion did not specify:
+
+- The exact Tower project name or module structure.
+- The canonical REPL command or script (if one exists).
+- The exact database connection parameters or environment variable names.
+
+To fully standardize this guide, you would need:
+
+- The official REPL entry point (if defined) and how to invoke it.
+- The standard way the project initializes the SQLAlchemy session and models.
+- Any project-specific helper commands (e.g., `make repl`, `./manage.py shell`).
+
+---
+*Source: [Original Slack thread](https://distylai.slack.com/archives/impl-tower-infobot/p1736434138409719)*