Contributing to PoliSciPy

Thank you for your interest in contributing to PoliSciPy! Your contributions help improve the project for the entire community. Whether you’re reporting a bug, proposing a new feature, writing documentation, or improving the codebase, your support is greatly appreciated!

This guide outlines the basic process for contributing effectively.

How to Contribute

There are a variety of ways you can contribute to PoliSciPy. Below are some of the common ways to get involved:

1. Report Bugs

If you encounter a bug while using PoliSciPy:

  • Check Existing Issues: Look through the GitHub Issues tab to see if it has already been reported.
  • Submit a New Issue: If it’s not listed, feel free to create a new issue with:
    • A clear and concise title.
    • Steps to reproduce the issue.
    • Expected vs. actual behavior.
    • Relevant screenshots, code snippets, or error messages.

2. Propose Features

Have an idea for a new feature or improvement? Feel free to create a new feature request.

  • Check Existing Requests: See if your idea has already been suggested.
  • Open a Feature Request: Use the Feature Request Template to share:
    • What problem the feature solves.
    • A description of the feature.
    • Any examples or relevant references.

3. Contribute Code

If you’re ready to write code for PoliSciPy, follow these steps:

Step 1: Fork the Repository

  1. Navigate to PoliSciPy’s GitHub Repository.
  2. Click the Fork button in the top-right corner to create your own copy of the repository.
  3. Clone your fork to your local machine: 
    git clone https://github.com/your-username/poliscipy.git
cd poliscipy

Step 2: Set Up Your Environment

  1. Ensure you have Python 3.x installed. You can download it here.
  2. Install the required dependencies: 
    pip install -r dev-requirements.txt
  3. Run the tests to ensure that the environment is set up correctly: 
    pytest

Step 3: Make Changes

  1. Create a new branch for your changes: 
    git checkout -b feature-name
  2. Write clean, well-documented code.
  3. Add or update tests for your changes if necessary.

Step 4: Commit and Push

  1. Commit your changes with a clear and descriptive message: 
    git add .
git commit -m "Description of changes"
  2. Push the branch to your fork: 
    git push origin feature-name

Step 5: Open a Pull Request

  1. Go to the Pull Requests tab in the main repository.
  2. Click New Pull Request and follow the template.
    • Title: A clear description of the changes you made.
    • Description: Explain what problem your changes solve, how you approached the solution, and any additional context or screenshots.

4. Write or Improve Documentation

Documentation is a critical component of any open-source project. You can help out by:

  • Fixing typos or clarifying instructions.
  • Adding examples for functions and methods.
  • Extending tutorials or writing new ones.

All the documentation for PoliSciPy is located in the docs/ directory.

Code of Conduct

If you would like to contribute to PoliSciPy, please make sure that you adhere to the Code of Conduct. Please be respectful, kind, and considerate in your interactions with others.

Additional Resources

To help you get started with contributing, here are some useful resources: