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Set up your development environment

This lesson helps you set up your local development environment to start building applications with the Application SDK. Think of this as preparing your construction site before you begin building—you need all the right tools and materials in place before you can create something amazing.

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What you learn here: How to install and configure the essential tools needed to build Atlan applications. By the end of this lesson, your computer becomes a complete development workspace ready for building.

Follow each section in order, and don't worry if something seems unfamiliar—this lesson walks you through everything step by step, explaining what each tool does and why you need it.

Core dependencies​

Before you start building, you need four essential tools on your computer. Think of these as your construction toolkit—each tool serves a specific purpose in creating applications. Here's what each tool does and why you need it:

Python

Python 3.11

The programming language that powers your application. Python lets your computer understand and execute your instructions.

UV

UV

Your package manager that handles all Python dependencies. UV efficiently manages and installs the libraries your application needs.

Dapr

Dapr

A distributed application runtime that helps different parts of your app communicate. Dapr provides building blocks for microservices.

Temporal

Temporal

A workflow orchestration platform that manages long-running tasks. Temporal ensures workflows complete reliably, even through failures.

Now that you understand what each tool does, it's time to install them on your computer. The next step is like setting up your construction site—you need each tool ready and working before you can start building your first application.

Prepare your environment​

Before installing the main development tools, you need to prepare your environment with some foundational software. This includes installing Git for version control and the platform-specific tools that make everything work smoothly.

Install Git​

Git is a version control system you need to download sample applications and manage your code. Most systems have Git pre-installed, but first verify it's available:

  • Check if Git is already installed: Run this command in your terminal:

    git --version

  • If Git isn't installed, download and install it from git-scm.com for your operating system.

With Git ready, you can now install the Atlan-specific development tools.

Choose your operating system​

The installation process varies by operating system, so choose your platform below and follow the step-by-step guide. Each guide walks you through installing all four development tools in the correct order.

Take your time with the installation—it usually takes 10-15 minutes depending on your internet connection. Getting this foundation right means you can focus on the exciting part: building your first application!

Your Mac needs these tools installed in a specific order—each step builds on the previous one, so follow the sequence exactly as shown.

  1. Install Homebrew package manager: Homebrew simplifies software installation on macOS. Run this command and follow any post-installation instructions in your terminal:

    /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

  2. Install UV and Python: UV manages your Python environments efficiently. These commands create an isolated Python installation specifically for Atlan development:

    # Install UV package manager
    curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/0.7.3/install.sh | sh

    # Create Python environment with specific version
    uv venv --python 3.11.10

    # Activate the environment
    source .venv/bin/activate

  3. Install Temporal CLI: Temporal orchestrates your application workflows. Homebrew simplifies the installation process:

    brew install temporal

  4. Install DAPR runtime: DAPR enables distributed application features. The slim mode keeps your local development environment lightweight:

    # Install DAPR CLI
    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dapr/cli/master/install/install.sh | /bin/bash -s 1.16.0

    # Initialize slim runtime
    dapr init --runtime-version 1.16.0 --slim

  5. Set up frontend playground: The playground provides a testing environment for your application user interfaces:

    # Create frontend directory
    mkdir -p frontend/static

    # Install playground tool
    npx @atlanhq/app-playground install-to frontend/static

    The frontend/static directory becomes your workspace for hosting frontend resources and testing application interfaces.

    Your macOS development environment is now complete and ready for building applications.

Excellent! You've completed the installation process for your operating system. Now verify that everything works properly before moving forward.

Verify your environment​

Now it's time to test your installation and make sure everything works correctly. This verification step ensures all tools can communicate with each other and are ready for development.

Open your terminal (or Command Prompt on Windows) and run these commands to check each tool. Seeing the correct version numbers confirms that each tool is installed and working properly:

Run these verification commands in your terminal or command prompt:

  • Check Python: Verify Python 3.11.10 is installed:

    On macOS and Linux:

    python --version

    On Windows:

    uv run python --version

  • Check UV: Confirm UV is installed and working:

    uv --version

  • Check Dapr: Verify Dapr is properly installed. You see CLI version 1.16.0 and Runtime version 1.16.0 or later:

    dapr --version

  • Check Temporal: Confirm Temporal CLI is installed:

    temporal --version

    If this doesn't work, try the classic CLI command:

    tctl --version

    Either command showing a version number means Temporal is ready to use.

Something not working? If any command fails or shows an error, review the installation steps for your operating system. Don't continue until all commands work properly.


Perfect! If all four commands completed successfully and showed version numbers, your development environment is ready for building Atlan applications.

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Congratulations! Setting up a development environment can feel overwhelming, but you completed every step successfully. Your computer is now ready to build real applications with the Atlan framework.

What's next​

Your computer is now a complete development workspace for building Atlan applications. You have all the essential tools installed and verified they work together properly.

The next step in your journey is to see these tools in action by running an actual application. This helps you understand how Python, UV, Dapr, and Temporal work together to create powerful applications.

Continue learning​

Ready to see your development environment in action? Run your first sample application and explore how all these tools work together in practice → Run sample app with SDK