CONTRIBUTING.md

Contributing to Synthalingua

Table of Contents

• Code of Conduct
• Getting Started
  • Development Setup
  • Branching Strategy
• Making Contributions
  • Code Contributions
  • Documentation
  • Pull Requests
  • Commit Guidelines
• Issue Guidelines
  • Bug Reports
  • Feature Requests
• Technical Guidelines
  • Code Style
  • Testing Requirements

Code of Conduct

• Maintain respectful and professional communication
• Be open to collaboration and constructive feedback
• Foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome
• Help others and share knowledge when possible

Getting Started

Development Setup

1. Fork the repository
2. Clone your fork: git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/Synthalingua.git
3. Add upstream remote: git remote add upstream https://github.com/cyberofficial/Synthalingua.git
4. Create a virtual environment: python -m venv venv
5. Activate environment:
   • Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
   • Unix/MacOS: source venv/bin/activate
6. Install dependencies: pip install -r requirements_dev.txt

Branching Strategy

• master - Production-ready code
• develop - Integration branch for features
• Feature branches: feature/your-feature-name
• Bug fix branches: fix/issue-description
• Format: type/short-description

Making Contributions

Code Contributions

IMPORTANT: I do not accept AI-generated code. All contributions must be human-written code.

1. Ensure your code:

   • Meets our minimum Python version requirements
   • Includes appropriate error handling
   • Is well-documented with docstrings
   • Follows our code style guidelines
   • Includes necessary unit tests

2. Before submitting:

   • Run all tests locally
   • Update documentation if needed
   • Ensure your branch is up to date with develop

Documentation

• Use clear, concise language
• Include code examples where appropriate
• Update relevant README sections
• Add docstrings to new functions/classes
• Keep documentation in sync with code changes

Pull Requests

1. Create focused PRs (one feature/fix per PR)
2. Use descriptive titles: [Type] Brief description
3. Include in description:
   • What changes were made
   • Why changes were necessary
   • How to test the changes
   • Related issue numbers
4. Link relevant issues
5. Update tests and documentation
6. Ensure CI checks pass

Commit Guidelines

Format: type(scope): description

Types:

• feat: New feature
• fix: Bug fix
• docs: Documentation only
• style: Code style changes
• refactor: Code refactoring
• test: Testing changes
• chore: Maintenance tasks

Example: feat(audio): add new transcription format support

Issue Guidelines

Bug Reports

Include:

1. Steps to reproduce
2. Expected behavior
3. Actual behavior
4. System information:
   • OS version
   • Python version
   • Synthalingua version
5. Screenshots/logs if applicable
6. Sample code demonstrating the issue

Feature Requests

Include:

1. Clear description of the feature
2. Use case and benefits
3. Potential implementation approach
4. Any relevant examples

Technical Guidelines

Code Style

• Follow PEP 8 conventions
• Use meaningful variable/function names
• Keep functions focused and small
• Use type hints where possible
• Maximum line length: 100 characters
• Use descriptive docstrings

Testing Requirements

• Include unit tests for new features
• Maintain or improve code coverage
• Test edge cases and error conditions
• Include integration tests where needed
• Verify backward compatibility