Setting Up Your Development Environment for Phoenix Packages

The article outlines how to set up a developer environment for Phoenix package development, focusing on enabling live reloading for a smoother testing process. It discusses the limitations of a standard Phoenix app, which typically only reloads its own code, making it challenging to develop and test a hex package simultaneously. The author presents three effective configuration options for developers: creating sibling projects, using a subdirectory within the package, or setting up an umbrella project. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, and the article provides detailed steps for setting up Phoenix.CodeReloader and Phoenix.LiveReloader to facilitate automatic code recompilation and browser refreshes on code changes. The author emphasizes the importance of carefully managing dependencies and offers tips for publishing the completed package once development is finished.