CONTRIBUTING

Contributing to GitHub Commander

Thank you for your interest in contributing to GitHub Commander! This document provides guidelines and instructions for contributing to the project.

Table of Contents

• Code of Conduct
• Getting Started
• Development Workflow
• Coding Standards
• Testing
• Documentation
• Submitting Changes
• Reporting Bugs
• Feature Requests

Code of Conduct

Please read and follow our Code of Conduct.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher
• Git
• A GitHub account
• Basic knowledge of Python and Qt/PySide6

Setting Up Development Environment

1. Fork the repository on GitHub

2. Clone your fork:
   bash git clone https://github.com/your-username/github-commander.git cd github-commander

3. Create a virtual environment:
   bash python3 -m venv venv source venv/bin/activate

4. Install dependencies:
   bash pip install -r requirements.txt pip install -r requirements-dev.txt # if available

5. Run the application:
   bash python main.py

Development Workflow

Branch Naming

Use descriptive branch names:

• feature/add-new-feature
• bugfix/fix-specific-issue
• docs/update-documentation
• refactor/improve-code-structure

Making Changes

1. Create a new branch from main:
   bash git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

2. Make your changes

3. Write tests for new functionality
4. Update documentation as needed
5. Commit your changes with descriptive messages

Commit Messages

Follow conventional commits format:

• feat: - New feature
• fix: - Bug fix
• docs: - Documentation changes
• style: - Code style changes
• refactor: - Code refactoring
• test: - Adding or updating tests
• chore: - Maintenance tasks

Example:

feat: add support for custom keyboard shortcuts


- Add keyboard shortcut configuration in settings
- Implement shortcut handling in main window
- Add documentation for default shortcuts

Coding Standards

Python Style

• Follow PEP 8 style guide
• Use meaningful variable and function names
• Add docstrings to functions and classes
• Keep functions focused and concise
• Maximum line length: 100 characters

Code Organization

• Separate concerns into modules
• Use type hints where appropriate
• Keep imports organized and grouped
• Remove unused imports

Example Code Structure

"""
Module description.
"""

from typing import Optional, List


class ExampleClass:
    """Class description."""

    def __init__(self, param: str):
        """Initialize the class."""
        self.param = param

    def method_name(self) -> bool:
        """Method description."""
        return True

Testing

Running Tests

# Run all tests
pytest

# Run specific test file
pytest tests/test_module.py

# Run with coverage
pytest --cov=github_commander

Writing Tests

• Write tests for new features
• Maintain test coverage above 80%
• Use descriptive test names
• Test edge cases and error conditions

Test Structure

def test_feature_works():
    """Test that the feature works as expected."""
    # Arrange
    input_data = "test"

    # Act
    result = process_data(input_data)

    # Assert
    assert result == "expected"

Documentation

Code Documentation

• Add docstrings to all public functions and classes
• Document parameters and return values
• Include usage examples in docstrings

User Documentation

• Update user guides for new features
• Add screenshots for UI changes
• Update README if needed
• Keep documentation in sync with code

Documentation Location

• User guides: /docs/ directory
• API documentation: In-code docstrings
• README: Project overview and quick start

Submitting Changes

Pull Request Process

1. Ensure your code passes all tests
2. Update documentation
3. Clean up commit history (squash related commits)

4. Push to your fork:
   bash git push origin feature/your-feature-name

5. Create a pull request on GitHub

6. Fill out the pull request template
7. Wait for code review

Pull Request Checklist

• [ ] Code follows project style guidelines
• [ ] Tests pass locally
• [ ] Documentation is updated
• [ ] Commit messages are clear
• [ ] No merge conflicts
• [ ] PR description explains the change

Review Process

• Maintainers will review your PR
• Address feedback in a timely manner
• Be open to suggestions
• Keep discussion constructive

Reporting Bugs

Before Reporting

1. Check existing issues
2. Check if the issue is fixed in latest version
3. Try to reproduce the bug
4. Gather relevant information

Bug Report Template

**Description**
A clear description of the bug.

**Steps to Reproduce**

1. Go to '...'
2. Click on '...'
3. Scroll down to '...'
4. See error

**Expected Behavior**
What you expected to happen.

**Actual Behavior**
What actually happened.

**Screenshots**
If applicable, add screenshots.

**Environment**

- OS: [e.g., Ubuntu 22.04]
- Python Version: [e.g., 3.11]
- GitHub Commander Version: [e.g., 1.0.0]

**Additional Context**
Add any other context about the problem.

Feature Requests

Proposing a Feature

1. Check existing feature requests
2. Open an issue describing the feature
3. Explain the use case
4. Provide implementation ideas if possible
5. Discuss with maintainers before implementing

Feature Request Template

**Is your feature request related to a problem?**
A clear description of the problem.

**Describe the Solution**
A clear description of what you want to happen.

**Describe Alternatives**
A clear description of any alternative solutions or features.

**Additional Context**
Add any other context or screenshots.

Getting Help

• Ask questions in GitHub Discussions
• Check existing documentation
• Review similar issues
• Contact maintainers for complex questions

Recognition

Contributors will be recognized in:

• CONTRIBUTORS.md file
• Release notes
• Project README

License

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the MIT License.

Thank you for contributing to GitHub Commander!