Contributing Guidelinesd

Welcome to the project. This document outlines the development workflow, role responsibilities, and strict rules for contributing.

1. Project Structure

This is a Monorepo containing both the backend and frontend.

• backend/: Express (Javascript, will be changed to typescript)
• frontend/: React (TypeScript/Vite)
• .env: Contains secrets. Never commit this file.

2. Roles and Permissions

We follow a strict role-based hierarchy.

• Maintainers (3rd Years):

  • Role: Admin / Code Reviewer.
  • Responsibilities: Reviewing PRs, requesting changes, and merging code to main.
  • Only Maintainers can merge Pull Requests.

• Developers (2nd Years):

  • Role: Core Contributor.
  • Access: Write access to the repository.
  • Restrictions: You cannot push directly to main. You must submit a Pull Request. You cannot merge your own PRs.
  • How Tos: Make a New branch and commit your feature there and open a pull request to the main.

• Apprentices (1st Years):

  • Role: Learner / Contributor.
  • Access: Read-only.
  • Workflow: You must Fork the repository, push changes to your fork, and submit a Pull Request from there.

3. Development Workflow

Step 1: Pick a Task

Check the "Issues" tab. If you want to work on something new, create an Issue first to get approval from a Maintainer.

Step 2: Create a Branch

Never work on the main branch. Create a new branch for every feature or fix.

Naming Convention:

• feat/short-description (e.g., feat/login-page)
• fix/short-description (e.g., fix/navbar-spacing)
• docs/short-description (e.g., docs/update-readme)

Step 3: Commits

• Write clear, descriptive commit messages.
• Example: Added login form validation (Not: fixed code).

Step 4: Pull Request (PR)

1. Push your branch to the repository (or your fork).
2. Open a Pull Request against main.
3. Link the PR to the Issue it solves.
4. Wait for Review.

4. The Rules of Conduct (Strict)

Violating these rules may result in removal from the repository.

1. Do Not Dismiss Reviews: If a Maintainer requests changes, do not dismiss their review. Fix the code and request a re-review.
2. No "Sneaky" Commits: Do not push new code after receiving an approval to try and bypass review. If you push after approval, you must notify a Maintainer to review the new changes.
3. Do Not Merge Your Own PR: Even if you have the button, wait for a Maintainer to merge it.
4. Secrets: Never commit API keys, database passwords, or credentials. Use .env.

5. Local Setup

1. Clone the repository.
2. Create a .env file in the root using the provided template.
3. Run docker-compose up to start the database and backend (if applicable).
4. Navigate to frontend/ and run npm install followed by npm run dev.