Contributing Guide
Thank you for your interest in contributing to our repository! This document outlines the process and guidelines for contributing to help ensure a smooth collaboration experience.
Ways to Contribute
There are several ways you can contribute to this project:
- Report Bugs: Help improve the project by reporting any bugs you encounter
- Suggest Enhancements: Share ideas for new features or improvements
- Submit Changes: Contribute directly to the codebase through pull requests
- Improve Documentation: Help make our documentation more clear and comprehensive
Getting Started
- Fork the Repository: Create your own copy of the repository to work on
- Clone Locally: Clone your fork to your local machine
- Set Up Development Environment: Follow the setup instructions in the README
- Create a Branch: Make a new branch for your changes
Development Process
Making Changes
- Ensure your local repository is up-to-date with the main repository
- Create a new branch for your changes:
bash git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
- Make your changes following our coding standards
- Test your changes thoroughly
- Commit your changes with clear, descriptive messages:
bash git commit -m "Description of changes"
Testing
- Run all tests before submitting your changes
- Add new tests for new features
- Ensure all tests pass locally
Submitting Changes
Pull Request Process
- Push your changes to your fork:
bash git push origin feature/your-feature-name
- Create a pull request through GitHub
- Fill out the pull request template completely
- Wait for review and address any feedback
Pull Request Guidelines
- One Feature Per PR: Keep pull requests focused on a single feature or fix
- Clear Description: Provide a clear description of what your changes do and why
- Reference Issues: Link to any related issues in your PR description
- Keep It Updated: Respond to feedback and keep your PR up-to-date with the main branch
- Follow Standards: Ensure your code follows our coding standards and conventions
Reporting Issues
When reporting issues, please include:
- Clear Title: A brief, descriptive title of the issue
- Detailed Description: What happened, what you expected to happen
- Reproduction Steps: Clear steps to reproduce the issue
- Environment Details: Your operating system, Python version, etc.
- Relevant Logs: Any error messages or logs related to the issue
- Possible Solution: If you have suggestions on how to fix the issue
Style Guidelines
Code Style
- Follow PEP 8 guidelines for Python code
- Use meaningful variable and function names
- Include docstrings for functions and classes
- Keep functions focused and single-purpose
- Comment complex logic or non-obvious solutions
Commit Messages
- Use clear, descriptive commit messages
- Start with a verb in the present tense
- Keep the first line under 50 characters
- Include more details in the commit body if needed
Example:
Add user authentication feature
- Implement login/logout functionality
- Add password hashing
- Create user session management
Code Review Process
- All submissions require review
- Reviewers will check for:
- Code quality and style
- Test coverage
- Documentation
- Security implications
- Changes may need revision before being accepted
- At least one maintainer approval is required to merge
Community
- Follow our Code of Conduct
- Be respectful and constructive in discussions
- Help others who are contributing
- Share knowledge and experience
Questions?
If you have questions about contributing: 1. Check existing documentation 2. Search through past issues and discussions 3. Open a new issue with the question label
License
By contributing to this project, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the same terms as the project license.
Thank you for contributing to our project! Your efforts help make this project better for everyone.