Development Environment Setup
Complete guide to preparing your system for Playcast development
1 Prerequisites Overview
Before diving into Playcast development, ensure your system meets the minimum requirements and has the necessary tools installed.
- Node.js v20+ - JavaScript runtime and package manager
- Java 17 JDK - Required for Android development and build tools
- Visual Studio 2022 - C++ development environment
- Git - Version control system
- Nx CLI - Monorepo development tools
System Requirements Checklist
2 Install Node.js v20+
Node.js is the foundation of the Playcast development stack, providing the runtime for build tools and the development server.
Method 1: Official Installer (Recommended)
# 1. Visit https://nodejs.org/en/download/ # 2. Download Node.js v20 LTS for Windows # 3. Run the installer with default settings
Method 2: Chocolatey Package Manager
# Install Chocolatey first (run in PowerShell as Administrator)
Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force
iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))
# Install Node.js
choco install nodejs --version=20.11.0
Verify Installation
node --version npm --version
- Use Node.js LTS (Long Term Support) version for stability
- Avoid installing Node.js via Windows Store - use official installer
- Restart your terminal after installation to refresh PATH
3 Install Java 17 JDK
Java 17 is required for Android development capabilities and some build tools used in the Playcast ecosystem.
Download and Install
# Option 1: Oracle JDK 17 # Visit: https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/#java17 # Option 2: OpenJDK 17 (Free) # Visit: https://jdk.java.net/17/ # Option 3: Chocolatey choco install openjdk17
Set JAVA_HOME Environment Variable
# Open System Properties > Environment Variables
# Add new system variable:
# Variable name: JAVA_HOME
# Variable value: C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-17.0.x
# Or use PowerShell:
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("JAVA_HOME", "C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-17.0.x", "Machine")
Verify Installation
java -version javac -version echo $env:JAVA_HOME
4 Install Visual Studio 2022
Visual Studio 2022 provides the C++ compiler and Windows SDK required for native development in the Playcast platform.
Download and Install
# 1. Visit: https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/community/ # 2. Download Visual Studio Community 2022 (free) # 3. Run the installer # Or use Chocolatey: choco install visualstudio2022community
During installation, make sure to select these workloads:
- Desktop development with C++ - Core C++ tools
- Game development with C++ - Gaming-specific tools
- .NET desktop development - .NET Framework support
Additional Components
Ensure these are installed:
Verify Installation
5 Install Development Tools
Complete your development setup with version control and specialized tools for Playcast development.
Install Git
# Official installer: https://git-scm.com/download/win # Or use Chocolatey: choco install git # Configure Git (replace with your info): git config --global user.name "Your Name" git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"
Install Nx CLI (Global)
# Install Nx globally for monorepo management npm install -g nx@latest # Verify installation nx --version
Verify All Tools
git --version nx --version npm list -g nx
6 Environment Verification
Let's run a comprehensive check to ensure your development environment is ready for Playcast development.
# Create a test script to verify everything echo @echo off > verify-env.bat echo echo === Development Environment Verification === >> verify-env.bat echo echo. >> verify-env.bat echo echo Node.js: >> verify-env.bat echo node --version >> verify-env.bat echo echo. >> verify-env.bat echo echo NPM: >> verify-env.bat echo npm --version >> verify-env.bat echo echo. >> verify-env.bat echo echo Java: >> verify-env.bat echo java -version >> verify-env.bat echo echo. >> verify-env.bat echo echo Git: >> verify-env.bat echo git --version >> verify-env.bat echo echo. >> verify-env.bat echo echo Nx: >> verify-env.bat echo nx --version >> verify-env.bat echo echo. >> verify-env.bat echo echo === All tools verified! === >> verify-env.bat echo pause >> verify-env.bat # Run the verification verify-env.bat
Once all verifications pass, your development environment is fully configured and ready for Playcast development. You can now proceed to clone the repository and start building applications.