🤝 Contributing Guide

Content Outline

This comprehensive guide will cover all aspects of contributing to PyMapGIS:

1. Getting Started

• Fork and clone workflow
• Development environment setup
• Understanding the codebase structure
• First contribution checklist

2. Contribution Types

• Bug Reports: How to file effective bug reports
• Feature Requests: Proposing new functionality
• Code Contributions: Pull request workflow
• Documentation: Improving docs and examples
• Testing: Adding and improving tests
• Performance: Optimization contributions

3. Development Workflow

• Git branching strategy (feature branches, main branch)
• Commit message conventions
• Pre-commit hooks and code quality
• Testing requirements before submission
• Code review process

4. Code Standards

• Python coding conventions (PEP 8, Black formatting)
• Type hints and documentation requirements
• Error handling patterns
• Performance considerations
• Security best practices

5. Testing Requirements

• Unit test coverage expectations
• Integration test requirements
• Performance test guidelines
• Test data management
• CI/CD pipeline integration

6. Documentation Standards

• Docstring conventions (Google style)
• README and example requirements
• API documentation standards
• Tutorial and guide writing
• Code comment guidelines

7. Pull Request Process

• PR template and checklist
• Review criteria and process
• Addressing feedback
• Merge requirements
• Post-merge responsibilities

8. Community Guidelines

• Code of conduct
• Communication channels (GitHub, discussions)
• Getting help and support
• Mentorship opportunities
• Recognition and attribution

9. Advanced Contributions

• Plugin development guidelines
• Data source plugin creation
• Performance optimization techniques
• Security vulnerability reporting
• Release and packaging contributions

10. Maintenance and Support

• Issue triage process
• Release management
• Backward compatibility considerations
• Deprecation policies
• Long-term maintenance responsibilities

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This guide will provide step-by-step instructions, templates, and examples for all types of contributions to PyMapGIS.