6e2c5a13-7d60-4c7d-823f-f2062102b1f3
prompter
I have a dockerized React.js application that connects to a (also dockerized) backend written with actix-web in Rust. I have a development docker-compose file as well as a production one and am looking for a way to dynamically change the backend URL depending on the configuration in the frontend. What would be the most elegant way to achieve this? Note that environment variables are difficult in this situation, as they cannot be dynamically changed after the production frontend is built.
544dfaba-2238-44e6-80e3-ec7fcc285751
6e2c5a13-7d60-4c7d-823f-f2062102b1f3
assistant
One way to achieve this would be to use the concept of "runtime configuration". Essentially, this involves creating a configuration file that is loaded at runtime by the frontend application, rather than being baked into the build. This file can contain the necessary configuration parameters, such as the backend URL, and can be updated as needed without requiring a new build of the frontend.

To implement this in your dockerized React.js application, you could create a separate configuration file (e.g., `config.json`) that contains the necessary configuration parameters, such as the backend URL. You can then load this file at runtime using a JavaScript module such as `axios` or `fetch`.

Here is an example of how you could load the configuration file in your React.js application:

```javascript
import axios from 'axios';

// Load the configuration file
axios.get('/config.json').then(response => {
  const config = response.data;

  // Use the configuration parameters as needed
  const backendUrl = config.backendUrl;
  // ...
});
```

You can then mount the configuration file as a volume in your production docker-compose file, allowing you to update the file without requiring a new build of the frontend:

```yaml
version: '3'

services:
  frontend:
    image: my-frontend-image
    volumes:
      - ./config.json:/usr/share/nginx/html/config.json:ro
    # ...
```

In the above example, the `config.json` file is mounted as a read-only volume at the location where the frontend is served (`/usr/share/nginx/html/config.json`). This means that the configuration file will be available to the frontend application at the expected location.

On the backend side, you could also create a similar configuration file that is loaded at runtime and contains the necessary configuration parameters, such as the database URL or other settings.

Using this approach, you can keep your configuration separate from your code, allowing you to update the configuration as needed without requiring a new build of the application.

Feel free to ask for more information or clarify things you don't understand!
ea26767d-da1f-4403-a954-9563b6b676b5
544dfaba-2238-44e6-80e3-ec7fcc285751
prompter
Thanks! That is exactly what I'm looking for. However, can you please confirm if the configuration file is really necessary for the backend as well? As long as it accepts connections from any IP addresses, I wouldn't need to update any config when the backend URL changes, right?