⚠️ Docker Setup — Frontend Code Changes Not Reflecting (Beginner Needs Help).

1

Hi everyone :waving_hand:

I’m new to OpenMRS and I am using the Docker setup (openmrs-distro-referenceapplication). My instance runs correctly on http://localhost:8080/openmrs but my frontend code changes are not showing.

I am editing files inside: openmrs-esm-patient-chart/ openmrs-esm-core/ openmrs-esm-form-builder/

I tried rebuilding Docker:

docker-compose down docker-compose build --no-cache docker-compose up -d

But still the UI does not update.

I also tried (inside the repo):

yarn install yarn build

But “changes not reflecting” problem remains.

Since I am using Docker, I’m confused about the correct workflow.

:backhand_index_pointing_right: My question: How do I properly see my code changes (e.g., translations, React components) when using the Docker setup? Do I need to run the frontend separately with openmrs develop, or mount the frontend folders into Docker?

Any guidance for a beginner would be very helpful :folded_hands:

2

Hi @krishna1myadav The Docker setup does NOT use your local frontend code from openmrs-esm-patient-chart, openmrs-esm-core, or openmrs-esm-form-builder. It pulls pre-built frontend bundles from npm, so anything you edit locally won’t automatically appear in Docker.

That’s why rebuilding the containers or running yarn build locally doesn’t affect what Docker is serving.

The right way to test out your local changes is you need spin up a local instance of the frontend locally using any of the above mentioned mono repos. for example GitHub - openmrs/openmrs-esm-patient-management: Frontend modules for patient management, including appointment scheduling, patient list management, registration, search and service queue management

Going through theO3 developer docs can be very helpful.