Add contributing guidelines

Author: XavierCLL

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+# Contributing to ThRasE
+
+Thank you for your interest in contributing to ThRasE! This document provides guidelines for contributing to the project, reporting issues, and seeking support.
+
+## Code of Conduct
+
+We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment. Please be respectful and constructive in all interactions.
+
+## How to Contribute
+
+### Reporting Bugs
+
+If you encounter a bug or unexpected behavior:
+
+1. **Search existing issues** — Check the [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/SMByC/ThRasE/issues) to see if the problem has already been reported.
+2. **Create a new issue** — If not already reported, open a new issue with:
+   - A clear, descriptive title
+   - Steps to reproduce the problem
+   - Expected vs. actual behavior
+   - Your environment details (QGIS version, operating system, ThRasE version)
+   - Screenshots or full error message if applicable
+   - Sample data to replicate the issue (if possible)
+
+### Suggesting Features
+
+We welcome feature suggestions! To propose a new feature:
+
+1. **Check existing issues** — Your idea may already be under discussion.
+2. **Open a feature request** — Create a new issue with the label `enhancement` and include:
+   - A clear description of the proposed feature
+   - The use case or problem it addresses
+   - Any implementation ideas you may have
+
+### Contributing Code
+
+#### Getting Started
+
+1. **Fork the repository** on GitHub
+2. **Clone your fork** locally:
+   ```bash
+   git clone https://github.com/SMByC/ThRasE.git
+   ```
+3. **Create a branch** for your changes:
+   ```bash
+   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
+   ```
+4. Run tests
+5. Open a pull request (PR) against `main`
+
+#### Development Setup
+
+ThRasE is a QGIS plugin. To set up your development environment:
+
+1. Link or copy the `ThRasE` directory to your QGIS plugins folder:
+   - **Linux**: `~/.local/share/QGIS/QGIS3/profiles/default/python/plugins/`
+   - **Windows**: `%APPDATA%\QGIS\QGIS3\profiles\default\python\plugins\`
+   - **macOS**: `~/Library/Application Support/QGIS/QGIS3/profiles/default/python/plugins/`
+2. Restart QGIS and enable the plugin via `Plugins` → `Manage and Install Plugins…`
+3. (Optional) Install the [plugin reloader](https://plugins.qgis.org/plugins/plugin_reloader) for easier plugin development.
+
+#### Running Tests
+
+First, install the test dependencies using UV:
+
+```bash
+uv sync --extra test
+```
+
+Then run the test suite:
+
+```bash
+uv run pytest tests/
+```
+
+### Contributing Documentation
+
+Documentation improvements are always welcome! You can:
+
+- Fix typos or clarify existing documentation
+- Add examples or tutorials
+- Improve the user guide
+
+Documentation source files are in the `docs/` directory and use Jupyter Book (MyST Markdown).
+
+## Seeking Support
+
+If you need help using ThRasE:
+
+1. **Read the documentation** — Visit [https://smbyc.github.io/ThRasE](https://smbyc.github.io/ThRasE).
+2. **Check existing issues or open a new support issue** — Search to see if your question has already been answered. If not, create a new issue.
+
+## Contact
+
+For direct inquiries:
+
+- **Xavier C. Llano** — <xavier.corredor.llano@gmail.com>
+
+## License
+
+By contributing to ThRasE, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the [GNU General Public License v3.0](LICENSE).

README.md

@@ -33,3 +33,7 @@ ThRasE was developed by the Forest and Carbon Monitoring System (SMByC) at the I
 - [SMByC-PDI team](https://github.com/SMByC) - Development support and testing
 
 This project was fully funded by the SMByC-IDEAM, Colombia.
+
+## Contributing
+
+We welcome contributions! Please see our [Contributing Guidelines](CONTRIBUTING.md)