CONTRIBUTING.md

Contributing to Datalayer Desktop

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Datalayer Desktop! This document provides guidelines and instructions for contributing.

Code of Conduct

By participating in this project, you agree to abide by our Code of Conduct:

• Be respectful and inclusive
• Welcome newcomers and help them get started
• Focus on constructive criticism
• Accept feedback gracefully

How Can I Contribute?

Reporting Bugs

Before creating a bug report:

1. Check the existing issues
2. Try the latest version
3. Collect relevant information

Create a bug report with:

• Clear, descriptive title
• Steps to reproduce
• Expected vs actual behavior
• Screenshots if applicable
• Environment details (OS, Node version, etc.)

Suggesting Features

Feature requests should include:

• Clear use case explanation
• Why existing features don't solve it
• Possible implementation approach
• Mockups/examples if applicable

Pull Requests

1. Fork & Clone

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/desktop.git
   cd desktop

2. Create a Branch

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
   # or
   git checkout -b fix/issue-description

3. Make Changes

   • Follow the coding standards
   • Add tests if applicable
   • Update documentation

4. Commit

   git add .
   git commit -m "feat: add amazing feature"
   # or
   git commit -m "fix: resolve issue with..."

5. Push & Create PR

   git push origin your-branch-name

Development Setup

See DEVELOPMENT.md for detailed setup instructions.

Quick start:

npm install
npm start

Coding Standards

TypeScript/JavaScript

• Use TypeScript for all new code
• Follow existing code style
• Use meaningful variable names
• Add TypeDoc comments for public APIs

/**
 * Calculate the sum of two numbers.
 *
 * @param a - First number
 * @param b - Second number
 * @returns The sum of a and b
 */
export function add(a: number, b: number): number {
  return a + b;
}

React Components

• Use functional components with hooks
• Keep components focused and small
• Use proper TypeScript props interfaces

interface ButtonProps {
  label: string;
  onClick: () => void;
  disabled?: boolean;
}

export const Button: React.FC<ButtonProps> = ({
  label,
  onClick,
  disabled = false
}) => {
  return (
    <button onClick={onClick} disabled={disabled}>
      {label}
    </button>
  );
};

File Organization

src/renderer/
├── components/     # Reusable UI components
│   └── [feature]/  # Feature-specific components
├── pages/          # Page-level components
├── hooks/          # Custom React hooks
├── utils/          # Utility functions
├── services/       # API and service layers
└── stores/         # State management

Code Quality Checks

Before submitting a PR, run:

# Format code
npm run format

# Lint code
npm run lint:fix

# Type check
npm run type-check

# Run all checks
npm run check:fix

Testing

Running Tests

npm test

Writing Tests

• Place test files next to the code they test
• Name test files with .test.ts or .spec.ts
• Write clear test descriptions

describe('Calculator', () => {
  it('should add two numbers correctly', () => {
    expect(add(2, 3)).toBe(5);
  });

  it('should handle negative numbers', () => {
    expect(add(-1, 1)).toBe(0);
  });
});

Documentation

Code Documentation

Add TypeDoc comments to:

• All exported functions
• Public class methods
• Component props interfaces
• Complex algorithms

README Updates

Update README.md when:

• Adding new features
• Modifying system requirements

API Documentation

The project uses TypeDoc:

npm run docs

Review Process

1. Automated Checks - CI runs on all PRs
2. Code Review - Maintainer reviews code
3. Testing - Manual testing if needed
4. Merge - Squash and merge to main

Release Process

See RELEASE.md for release procedures.

Getting Help

• Discord: Join our Discord
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions
• Issues: GitHub Issues

License

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the BSD-3-Clause License.

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Thank you for contributing to Datalayer Desktop! 🎉