CONTRIBUTING.md

Contributing to ColBuilder

Thank you for your interest in contributing to ColBuilder! This guide outlines the basics of how to contribute.

Quick Start

1. Fork and clone the repository

   git clone git@github.com:YOUR-USERNAME/colbuilder.git
   cd colbuilder

2. Set up your environment

   conda create -n colbuilder-dev python=3.9
   conda activate colbuilder-dev
   pip install -e .

3. Create a branch and make changes

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
   # Make your changes
   git commit -m "Add feature: description"
   git push origin feature/your-feature-name

4. Open a pull request from your fork to the main repository

Reporting Issues

When reporting bugs or requesting features:

• Search existing issues first
• Use descriptive titles
• Include detailed descriptions
• For bugs: add steps to reproduce, expected vs. actual behavior, and system info

Development Guidelines

• Code Organization:

  • Follow the existing project structure
  • Place new modules in the appropriate directories
  • Maintain separation between core functions and utilities

• Documentation:

  • Add docstrings to all new functions and classes
  • Update README and other documentation as needed
  • Include example usage for new features

Pull Request Guidelines

• Focus each PR on a single feature or fix
• Provide a clear description of the changes
• Reference related issues
• Be responsive to feedback

Versioning

ColBuilder follows a simple versioning system:

• Version numbers are in the format X.Y
• Major changes increase X
• Minor improvements increase Y

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Thank you for helping improve ColBuilder for the scientific community!