add set up instructions

README.md

@@ -1,4 +1,74 @@
 # WomenInTechVic
 
 This website is still in its infancy.
-But feel free to check out https://women-in-tech-vic.fly.dev/ to see it grow over time.
+But feel free to check out https://women-in-tech-vic.fly.dev/ to see it grow over time.
+
+
+## How to run this application 
+
+### Quickstart
+
+If you're already familiar with how to run Elixir/Phoenix applications, this section is for you!
+Just do the usual 😃 
+Make sure you have the correct `Erlang`, `Elixir` and `Node.js` versions installed. There is a `.too-versions` file, so if you're using `asdf`, you can run `asdf install`.
+
+There is one gotcha:
+The Slack invite link is set as an environment variable in `config.exs`. 
+To bypass the need of setting up an environment variable, just replace this line
+
+```Elixir
+config :women_in_tech_vic, slack_invite_link: System.get_env("SLACK_INVITE_LINK")
+```
+
+with 
+```Elixir
+config :women_in_tech_vic, slack_invite_link: "www.slack.com`
+```
+This will just lead to the Slack homepage.
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+Ensure you have the following installed on your system: 
+
+- Erlang
+- Elixir 
+- Node.js 
+
+The required versions are specified in the `.tool-versions` file. It's recommended to use [asdf](https://asdf-vm.com/) for
+version control. [Here](https://www.gigalixir.com/blog/a-beginners-guide-to-installing-elixir-with-asdf/) for how to install Elixir and Phoenix.
+You will also need to install the `Node.js` plugin.
+Using `asdf` allows you to run `asdf install` from the root of the directory to get the correct versions of everything.
+
+
+- PostgreSQL or Docker and Docker Compose to create and run the Postgres database.
+
+If you opt for the Docker solution, you can run `docker compose up` from root to get Postgres started. If you're running Postgres locally, make sure you use the version specified in `compose.yaml`.
+
+### Development
+
+To start the app up locally, there are a few set-up steps:
+
+- install Elixir dependencies: `mix deps.get`
+- set up the development database: `mix ecto.setup`
+- install JavaScript dependencies: `cd assets && npm install && cd ..`
+- tweak the `config.exs` file as follows:
+
+Replace this line
+
+
+```Elixir
+config :women_in_tech_vic, slack_invite_link: System.get_env("SLACK_INVITE_LINK")
+```
+
+with 
+```Elixir
+config :women_in_tech_vic, slack_invite_link: "www.slack.com`
+```
+
+Now you can run `mix phx.server` and the application will be available at `http://localhost:4000`.
+
+
+### Tests
+
+To run the tests successfully, you will need to set up the test database by running:
+`MIX_ENV=test mix ecto.setup`, after which you can run `mix test` to run the test suite.