Scripthing ✍️

Scripthing is a professional-grade, local-first, web-based screenplay writing application. It offers industry-standard formatting, distraction-free writing, and optional AI-assisted writing that keeps you in control of your data.

Key Features

• Industry-Standard Formatting: Automatic formatting for Scene Headings, Action, Character, Dialogue, Parentheticals, and Transitions.
• Local-First Architecture: Your data stays on your machine. We use SQLite for backend persistence and debounced auto-save.
• AI-Optional Power: Connect your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, or Ollama (offline) keys for chat, suggestions, and rewrites.
• Professional Exports: Export your scripts to pixel-perfect PDF (via Puppeteer) or Final Draft .fdx format.
• Robust Security: AES-256-GCM encryption for your API keys and automated database backups.
• Dark Mode Support: Write day or night with a sleek, responsive UI built with shadcn/ui and TailwindCSS.
• Self-Hostable: Easily deploy to any VPS using Docker Compose.

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React 18.x, TypeScript, Vite, Tiptap (ProseMirror), Zustand, TanStack Query, TailwindCSS.
• Backend: Node.js 22.x LTS, Fastify, Prisma, SQLite (better-sqlite3), Zod, Pino.
• DevOps: Docker, GitHub Actions, Nginx.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 22.x LTS
• pnpm 10.x (npm install -g pnpm)
• Docker & Docker Compose (optional, for self-hosting)

Quick Start (Local Dev)

1. Clone the repo:

   git clone https://github.com/abengkris/scripthing.git && cd scripthing

2. Install dependencies:

   pnpm install

3. Setup environment:

   cp apps/backend/.env.example apps/backend/.env
   cp apps/frontend/.env.example apps/frontend/.env

   Edit apps/backend/.env and set APP_SECRET to a random 32-character string.
4. Initialize database:

   pnpm --filter backend db:migrate
   pnpm --filter backend db:seed

   This creates a ready-to-use demo account:
   • Email: demo@scripthing.local
   • Password: demo1234
5. Start development server:

   pnpm run dev

   Frontend: http://localhost:5173 | Backend: http://localhost:3001

Environment Variables

Variable	Description
DATABASE_URL	Prisma connection string for SQLite (e.g., file:./data/scripthing.db)
APP_SECRET	32-char secret for session tokens and key encryption.
PORT	Backend port (default 3001).
FRONTEND_URL	URL of the frontend (for CORS).
AI_RATE_LIMIT_RPM	Rate limit for AI requests per user (default 20).

Self-Hosting with Docker

1. Configure Compose: Edit docker-compose.yml and set your APP_SECRET.
2. Build and Run:

   docker compose up -d

3. Nginx Configuration: For Production/VPS, use the provided nginx.conf behind a reverse proxy like Nginx or Caddy. Note: To ensure the AI typing effect (Server-Sent Events) works instantly, you must disable Nginx buffering for the /api/v1/ai/ location in your configuration (proxy_buffering off;).

Backup & Restore

Automated Backup

The system includes a script at scripts/backup.sh that performs atomic SQLite backups.

• Cronjob Example: Run 0 0 * * * /opt/scripthing/scripts/backup.sh /opt/scripthing/apps/backend/data/scripthing.db /opt/scripthing/backups/ to backup daily.

Restore

1. Stop the application.
2. Copy the backup .db file over the current scripthing.db.
3. Restart the application.

Troubleshooting

• API Key Decryption Error: If you change APP_SECRET, you must provide the old secret as APP_SECRET_PREVIOUS to enable graceful key rotation.
• PDF Export Fails: Ensure Puppeteer dependencies are installed on the host or use the Docker environment which has them pre-configured.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please read AGENTS.md for our architectural guide and code conventions.

License

Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for more information.