[Feature Request]: Add CONTRIBUTING.md file #90
Description
Problem Description
The repository currently lacks a dedicated CONTRIBUTING.md file, which makes it challenging for potential contributors to understand:
- How to set up the development environment
- Coding standards and style guidelines
- Pull request process and expectations
- Testing requirements
- Code review process
- Where to start for first-time contributors
Having a clear contribution guide would lower the barrier to entry and encourage more community participation.
Solution Description
Create a comprehensive CONTRIBUTING.md file that includes:
1. Getting Started
- Prerequisites and system requirements
- Development environment setup
- Running the project locally
- Running tests
2. Development Workflow
- Branch naming conventions
- Commit message guidelines
- Pull request process
- CI/CD pipeline expectations
3. Coding Standards
- TypeScript conventions
- React/Next.js best practices
- File organization structure
- Code formatting (Prettier/ESLint)
- Documentation requirements (JSDoc)
4. Testing Guidelines
- How to write tests
- Test coverage expectations
- Manual testing checklist
5. Submitting Contributions
- Pull request template
- Code review expectations
- How to respond to feedback
- Merge criteria
6. Community Guidelines
- Code of conduct reference
- Communication channels (Discord, GitHub Discussions)
- How to report bugs vs request features
- Where to ask questions
7. Areas for Contribution
- Good first issues
- Help wanted areas
- Documentation improvements
- Testing needs
- Feature roadmap
Alternatives Considered
While some information exists in the README.md, a dedicated CONTRIBUTING.md file:
- Provides a standard location contributors expect to find
- Keeps README focused on project overview and usage
- Allows more detailed contribution guidelines
- Follows GitHub best practices
Additional Context
Many successful open-source projects include this file:
This would align with standard open-source practices and make the project more contributor-friendly.
Benefits:
- ✅ Lower barrier to entry for new contributors
- ✅ Consistent contribution quality
- ✅ Fewer back-and-forth in PR reviews
- ✅ Better community engagement
- ✅ Professional project appearance