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+# Development Guide
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- Node.js 18+ installed
+- npm or yarn package manager
+
+## Project Structure
+
+```
+agora-ai/
+├── frontend/          # Vue.js 3 + Vite application
+├── backend/           # Node.js + Express API server
+├── LICENSE            # MIT License
+└── README.md          # Project documentation
+```
+
+## Getting Started
+
+### 1. Backend Setup
+
+```bash
+cd backend
+
+# Install dependencies
+npm install
+
+# Create .env file (copy from .env.example)
+cp .env.example .env
+
+# Edit .env and add your Mistral API key
+# MISTRAL_API_KEY=your_key_here
+
+# Start the backend server
+npm run dev
+```
+
+The backend will run on `http://localhost:3000`
+
+### 2. Frontend Setup
+
+```bash
+cd frontend
+
+# Install dependencies
+npm install
+
+# Create .env file (copy from .env.example)
+cp .env.example .env
+
+# Start the development server
+npm run dev
+```
+
+The frontend will run on `http://localhost:5173`
+
+## Available Scripts
+
+### Backend
+
+- `npm start` - Start the server
+- `npm run dev` - Start the server with auto-reload (Node.js --watch)
+
+### Frontend
+
+- `npm run dev` - Start development server with HMR
+- `npm run build` - Build for production
+- `npm run preview` - Preview production build
+
+## API Endpoints
+
+### Health Check
+```
+GET /api/health
+```
+
+### Create Debate
+```
+POST /api/debate
+Body: { "prompt": "Your project description" }
+```
+
+### Get Debate
+```
+GET /api/debate/:id
+```
+
+### Add Response
+```
+POST /api/debate/:id/response
+Body: { "agentRole": "architect", "content": {...} }
+```
+
+## WebSocket Connection
+
+The backend supports WebSocket connections for real-time updates. Connect to:
+```
+ws://localhost:3000
+```
+
+## Database
+
+The project uses SQLite for data storage. The database file is automatically created at:
+```
+backend/data/agora.db
+```
+
+Schema:
+- `debates` - Stores project prompts and debate metadata
+- `responses` - Stores AI agent responses for each debate
+
+## Technology Stack
+
+### Frontend
+- Vue.js 3 (Composition API)
+- Vite
+- Pinia (State Management)
+- Radix Vue (Headless UI Components)
+- Mermaid.js (Diagrams)
+- VueUse (Utilities)
+
+### Backend
+- Node.js + Express
+- WebSocket (ws)
+- SQLite (better-sqlite3)
+- Helmet (Security)
+- CORS
+- Express Rate Limit
+
+## Next Steps
+
+1. Implement Mistral AI integration for agent responses
+2. Add WebSocket real-time communication
+3. Implement Mermaid diagram rendering
+4. Add voting and consensus mechanisms
+5. Create export functionality (JSON, Markdown, PDF)