What is Open Source Contribution Guide Template?
Open Source Contribution Guide Template
A contribution guide template for open-source projects helps new contributors understand how to contribute effectively, reducing barriers and increasing the number of contributions. This template outlines a comprehensive guide on contributing to your project.
Table of Contents
[Introduction](#introduction)
[Getting Started](#getting-started)
[Code Contributions](#code-contributions)
[Documentation Contributions](#documentation-contributions)
[Reporting Issues](#reporting-issues)
[Review Process](#review-process)
[Communication Channels](#communication-channels)
### Introduction
Welcome to our open-source project! We're excited to have you on board and appreciate your interest in contributing to our community.
### Getting Started
Before contributing, please:
Familiarize yourself with the project: Read the documentation, explore the codebase, and understand the project's goals and scope.
Set up a development environment: Install the necessary tools and dependencies to work on the project.
Join our community: Participate in discussions on our communication channels (see below) to get a feel for our community.
### Code Contributions
If you're interested in contributing code, please:
Choose an issue or feature: Select an open issue or propose a new feature to work on.
Create a branch: Use the `git checkout -b <branch-name>` command to create a new branch for your changes.
Make changes: Implement your changes and test them thoroughly.
Commit changes: Follow our commit guidelines (see below) when committing your code.
Submit a pull request: Use the `git push` command to push your changes to the remote repository, then submit a pull request.
### Commit Guidelines
Use a clear and concise commit message: Describe the changes you made and why.
Follow our coding style: Adhere to our project's coding conventions (e.g., naming conventions, indentation).
### Documentation Contributions
If you're interested in contributing documentation, please:
Choose an area of focus: Select a specific aspect of the project that needs improvement.
Create a branch: Use the `git checkout -b <branch-name>` command to create a new branch for your changes.
Make changes: Update or add documentation as needed, following our documentation style (see below).
Commit changes: Follow our commit guidelines when committing your code.
Submit a pull request: Use the `git push` command to push your changes to the remote repository, then submit a pull request.
### Reporting Issues
If you encounter any issues while contributing or using our project:
Check existing issues: Search for similar issues on our issue tracker.
Create a new issue: If you can't find an existing issue related to your problem, create a new one with as much detail as possible.
### Review Process
All code and documentation contributions will undergo a review process before being merged into the main branch:
Code reviews: Our team members will review your code for quality, adherence to our coding conventions, and overall impact.
Documentation reviews: Our documentation maintainers will review your changes to ensure they align with our project's style and accuracy.
### Communication Channels
To stay in touch and get help:
Mailing list: Join our mailing list for announcements, discussions, and support questions.
Issue tracker: Report issues, track progress, and engage with other contributors on our issue tracker.
Chat room: Participate in our chat room (e.g., Slack, Discord) for real-time conversations.
By following this guide, you'll be well on your way to becoming an active contributor to our open-source project. We're excited to see what you can bring!
Example Use Case
Suppose a new contributor wants to contribute code to the project's feature branch. They:
Choose an issue or feature: Select the “Improve user authentication” issue.
Create a branch: Use `git checkout -b improve-authentication`.
Make changes: Implement their changes and test them thoroughly.
Commit changes: Follow our commit guidelines, with a clear and concise message describing their changes.
Submit a pull request: Push their changes to the remote repository and submit a pull request for review.
Commit Guidelines Example
```markdown
feat: improve user authentication
- Fixed bug causing incorrect login credentials
- Improved error handling for failed logins
- Updated documentation with new authentication flow
```
This example follows our commit guidelines, providing a clear and concise description of the changes made.