docs: Add contribution and code of conduct guidelines (#17)

Author: nabroleonx

Diff for: .gitignore

@@ -287,3 +287,5 @@ eccounting_backend_api/media/
 media/
 
 todo.txt
+
+bin

Diff for: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md

@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+# Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct
+
+## Our Pledge
+
+In the interest of fostering an open and welcoming environment, we as
+contributors and maintainers pledge to making participation in our project and
+our community a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body
+size, disability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, level of experience,
+nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and
+orientation.
+
+## Our Standards
+
+Examples of behavior that contributes to creating a positive environment
+include:
+
+- Using welcoming and inclusive language
+- Being respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences
+- Gracefully accepting constructive criticism
+- Focusing on what is best for the community
+- Showing empathy towards other community members
+
+Examples of unacceptable behavior by participants include:
+
+- The use of sexualized language or imagery and unwelcome sexual attention or
+  advances
+- Trolling, insulting/derogatory comments, and personal or political attacks
+- Public or private harassment
+- Publishing others' private information, such as a physical or electronic
+  address, without explicit permission
+- Other conduct which could reasonably be considered inappropriate in a
+  professional setting
+
+## Our Responsibilities
+
+Project maintainers are responsible for clarifying the standards of acceptable
+behavior and are expected to take appropriate and fair corrective action in
+response to any instances of unacceptable behavior.
+
+Project maintainers have the right and responsibility to remove, edit, or
+reject comments, commits, code, wiki edits, issues, and other contributions
+that are not aligned to this Code of Conduct, or to ban temporarily or
+permanently any contributor for other behaviors that they deem inappropriate,
+threatening, offensive, or harmful.
+
+## Scope
+
+This Code of Conduct applies both within project spaces and in public spaces
+when an individual is representing the project or its community. Examples of
+representing a project or community include using an official project e-mail
+address, posting via an official social media account, or acting as an appointed
+representative at an online or offline event. Representation of a project may be
+further defined and clarified by project maintainers.
+
+## Enforcement
+
+Instances of abusive, harassing, or otherwise unacceptable behavior may be
+reported by contacting the project team at [email protected]. All
+complaints will be reviewed and investigated and will result in a response that
+is deemed necessary and appropriate to the circumstances. The project team is
+obligated to maintain confidentiality with regard to the reporter of an incident.
+Further details of specific enforcement policies may be posted separately.
+
+Project maintainers who do not follow or enforce the Code of Conduct in good
+faith may face temporary or permanent repercussions as determined by other
+members of the project's leadership.
+
+## Attribution
+
+This Code of Conduct is adapted from the [Contributor Covenant][homepage], version 1.4,
+available at [http://contributor-covenant.org/version/1/4][version]
+
+[homepage]: http://contributor-covenant.org
+[version]: http://contributor-covenant.org/version/1/4/

Diff for: CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+# Contributing to BiT-Forum
+
+Thank you for considering contributing to BiT-Forum! Your contributions are essential for the improvement and success of this project. Please note that this project is currently open for contributions exclusively from students of the BiT (Bahir Dar Institute of Technology). This document outlines the process for contributing and the guidelines to follow.
+
+## Table of Contents
+
+1. [Code of Conduct](#code-of-conduct)
+2. [How to Contribute](#how-to-contribute)
+   - [Submitting an Issue](#submit-issue)
+   - [Issues and Bugs](#reporting-bugs)
+   - [Feature Requests](#suggesting-features)
+3. [Getting Started](#getting-started)
+4. [Making Changes](#making-changes)
+   - [Commit Message Guidelines](#commit-message-guidelines)
+   - [Submit Your Changes](#submitting-changes)
+5. [Community](#community)
+
+## <a name="code-of-conduct"></a> Code of Conduct
+
+This project adheres to the [Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct](CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md). By participating, you are expected to uphold this code. Please report unacceptable behavior to [our email](mailto:[email protected]).
+
+## <a name="how-to-contribute"></a> How to Contribute
+
+### <a name="submit-issue"></a> Submitting an Issue
+
+Before you submit an issue, please search the issue tracker, maybe an issue for your problem already exists and the discussion might inform you of workarounds readily available.
+
+### <a name="reporting-bugs"></a> Found a Bug?
+
+If you find a bug, please report it by [opening an issue](https://github.com/gdscbahirdar/forum-backend/issues/new). Include as much detail as possible to help us diagnose and fix the issue quickly. Details might include:
+
+- Steps to reproduce the bug
+- Expected behavior
+- Actual behavior
+- Screenshots or logs, if applicable
+
+### <a name="suggesting-features"></a> Missing a Feature?
+
+You can _request_ a new feature by [submitting an issue](https://github.com/gdscbahirdar/forum-backend/issues/new) to our GitHub
+Repository. If you would like to _implement_ a new feature, please submit an issue with
+a proposal for your work first, to be sure that we can use it.
+Please consider what kind of change it is:
+
+- For a **Major Feature**, first open an issue and outline your proposal so that it can be
+  discussed. This will also allow us to better coordinate our efforts, prevent duplication of work,
+  and help you to craft the change so that it is successfully accepted into the project. For your issue name, please prefix your proposal with `[discussion]`, for example "[discussion]: your feature idea".
+- **Small Features** can be crafted and directly [submitted as a Pull Request](#submitting-changes).
+
+## <a name="getting-started"></a> Getting Started
+
+1. **Fork the Repository**
+
+   - Start by forking the repository to your GitHub account.
+
+2. **Clone the Forked Repository**
+
+   - Clone the repository to your local machine to start making changes.
+
+3. **Set Up Your Environment**
+   - Make sure you have the necessary environment set up to start contributing. This might include software, libraries, or other tools specific to this project.
+
+## <a name="making-changes"></a> Making Changes
+
+1. **Create a New Branch**
+
+   - For each new feature or fix, create a new branch from `master`. Use a name that reflects your changes, for example: `feat/add-login` or `fix/remove-bug`.
+
+2. **Make Your Changes**
+
+   - Implement your feature or fix. Make sure to keep your changes as focused as possible. If you find multiple, unrelated issues, consider making separate branches and pull requests for each.
+
+3. **Follow the Code Style**
+
+   - Run `pre-commit install` to create a git hook to fix your styles before you commit.
+
+     Alternatively, manually check your code with:
+
+     ```
+     ruff check --fix
+     ```
+
+4. **Update Documentation**
+   - If your changes require it, make sure to add docstrings, comments to your code.
+
+### <a name="commit-message-guidelines"></a> Commit Message Guidelines
+
+To maintain a clear and consistent history, please follow these commit message guidelines:
+
+1. **Use the Imperative Mood**: Write your commit message as if you are giving a command or instruction. For example, "Fix bug causing crash on startup" rather than "Fixed bug" or "Fixes bug."
+
+2. **Keep it Short and Descriptive**: Aim for a concise yet descriptive commit message. The first line should be a summary (50 characters or less), followed by a blank line and then a more detailed explanation if necessary.
+
+3. **Use Prefixes for Clarity**: Start your commit message with a relevant prefix:
+
+   - `feat:` for new features
+   - `fix:` for bug fixes
+   - `chore:` for updating tasks etc; no production code change
+   - `docs:` for changes to documentation
+   - `style:` for formatting, white-space, etc. (does not affect code logic)
+   - `refactor:` for code changes that neither fixes a bug nor adds a feature
+
+4. **Reference Issues and Pull Requests**: If your commit addresses specific issues or pull requests, include the reference (e.g., `#123`) at the end of the commit message.
+
+### Submitting Your Changes
+
+1. **Pull From `master`**
+
+   - Before submitting your pull request, pull from the `master` branch to get the latest changes. Resolve any conflicts that arise.
+
+2. **Commit Your Changes**
+
+   - Write clear, concise commit messages that follow any project-specific guidelines.
+
+3. **Push to Your Fork**
+
+   - Push your changes to your fork on GitHub.
+
+4. **Open a Pull Request**
+
+   - Go to the original repository, and you'll see a prompt to open a pull request. Put as much information as possible about your changes.
+
+5. **Code Review**
+
+   - Once your pull request is opened, maintainers will review your changes. Be open to feedback and ready to make adjustments.
+
+     After your pull request has been merged, you might want to pull the changes from the original repository to your fork to keep it up to date.
+
+Thank you for contributing to our project! Your efforts make a significant difference.