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+## Creating or modifying dashboards
+
+The ```dashboards``` directory has the installed dashboards. Adding new dashboards is as simple as dropping new Plotly Dash python files in this directory.
+
+In order to be included in the 311 Data app, a new version of this project needs to be deployed and the report needs to be referenced in the React client header.
+
+### Setting up your local environment
+
+Feel free to use your own preferred environment or follow this process:
+- Download and install [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/download)
+- Download and install [Docker Desktop](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/)
+- Download and install [GitHub Desktop](https://desktop.github.com/)
+- Fork the [311-data repository](https://github.com/hackforla/311-data.git)
+- Clone the [311-data repository](https://github.com/hackforla/311-data.git) using GitHub Desktop
+- Open the repo in VS Code
+- To edit dashboards, follow the steps below using the terminal
+
+### Editing a dashboard locally
+
+The best way to develop new dashboards is by using the development Dash image and mounting a local directory on it. This method requires the least amount of configuration so you can spend your time working on dashboards.
+
+These instructions assume you already have Docker installed and are on a Mac but should be easily transferrable to PC or Linux. 
+
+```zsh
+# first make sure you're in the dash directory
+cd server/dash
+
+# get the latest development version of the dash image
+docker pull la311data/dash-poc:dev
+
+# run the dash container with a local volume
+docker run -p 5500:5500 -v "$(pwd)":/app -e PRELOAD=False la311data/dash-poc 
+
+# view a dashboard in your browser
+open http://localhost:5500/dashboards/overview
+
+# to test the mount is working change the title property in this dashboard and reload (JUST REMEMBER TO REVERT YOUR CHANGE!)
+# when you are done just enter Ctl+C in your terminal to stop the server
+```
+
+When you have the dashboard completed, you should follow the standard Git workflow of committing, pushing, and issuing a pull request. Note that there are several pre-commit hooks that will run before you can merge. Once your PR is accepted, your changes will automatically be merged to dev and a new Dash Docker image will be published.
+
+### Git workflow cheat sheet
+
+```zsh
+# check git status
+git status
+
+# load your changes to the staging area
+# this assumes that you are in the server/dash directory as shown above
+git add filename.py   
+
+#commit your changes
+git commit -m "add a detailed description of the changes you made"
+
+#push your changes to the dev branch
+git push origin dev
+```
+The final step is to create a pull request [here](https://github.com/hackforla/311-data/pulls)
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