CONTRIBUTING.md

Collaborative GitHub Workflow

Step 1: Fork the Repository

To start contributing to the project, the first step is to fork the repository to your own GitHub account.

Click the link above to fork the repository.

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Step 2: Clone Your Fork to Your Local Machine

After forking, clone the repository to your local machine using the following command. Replace <username> with your GitHub username:

git clone https://github.com/<username>/cifkit

Change into the cloned repository directory:

cd cifkit

Step 3: Set Upstream Remote

To keep your fork updated with the original repository, you need to add the upstream remote:

git remote add upstream https://github.com/bobleesj/cifkit

This allows you to pull in the latest changes from the original repository (upstream) and incorporate them into your fork.

Step 4: Create a New Branch

Before starting any changes, create a new branch for your work.

git checkout -b branch-name

Replace branch-name with a descriptive name for your branch.

Step 5: Install the Project in Development Mode

To work on the cifkit project in development mode, install it with the following command. This ensures that any changes you make are reflected immediately without needing to reinstall the package:

pip install -e .

This command installs the project in "editable" mode so that changes you make to the code are immediately available in the environment.

Step 6: Make Changes and Test

Make the necessary changes to the code. Run unit tests locally:

pytest

Step 7: Push to Your Fork

After completing your changes, stage and commit your work:

pre-commit run --all-files # pip install pre-commit required

git add .
git commit -m "Describe your changes"
git push origin branch-name

Step 8: Create a Pull Request

Once your changes are pushed to your fork, go to the original repository on GitHub. Visit https://github.com/bobleesj/cifkit and you should see a new button to create a pull request. Follow the prompts to submit your pull request for review.