Contributing

Contributing to rms-link-checker

Thank you for your interest in contributing to rms-link-checker! This document provides guidelines and instructions for contributing to the project.

Code of Conduct

We expect all contributors to follow our Code of Conduct, which ensures a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone. See CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md.

Getting Started

1. Fork the repository on GitHub

2. Clone your fork locally:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/rms-link-checker.git
   cd rms-link-checker
   

3. Create a virtual environment and install the package with dev dependencies:

   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
   pip install -e ".[dev]"
   

Development Workflow

1. Create a new branch for your feature or bugfix:

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
   # or
   git checkout -b bugfix/issue-number
   

2. Make your changes, following our coding standards

3. Write or update tests as necessary (we follow TDD — tests first!)

4. Run the tests to ensure they pass:

   pytest -n auto --cov
   

5. Run all checks with the provided script:

   ./scripts/run-all-checks.sh
   

6. Commit your changes with a descriptive message:

   git commit -m "feat: add feature description"
   

7. Push your branch to your fork:

   git push origin feature/your-feature-name
   

8. Open a Pull Request on GitHub

Coding Standards

We follow these standards for all code contributions:

• Python Style: Follow PEP 8 (enforced via ruff)

• Type Hints: Use type hints for all function parameters and return values

• Docstrings: Document all classes and methods with Google-style docstrings

• Testing: Include unit tests for new functionality (TDD approach)

• Compatibility: Ensure compatibility with Python 3.10+

Pull Request Process

1. Ensure all tests pass

2. Update documentation if necessary

3. Make sure your code is properly formatted and passes both ruff and mypy

4. Request a review from a maintainer

5. Address any feedback from reviewers

The maintainers will merge your PR once it meets all requirements.

Testing

We use pytest for testing. To run the tests with coverage:

pytest -n auto --cov

For more verbose output:

pytest -v

To run a specific test file:

pytest tests/test_url_utils.py

Documentation

We use Sphinx for documentation. To build the docs:

cd docs
make html

The generated documentation will be in docs/_build/html.

Reporting Issues

If you find a bug or have a suggestion for improvement:

1. Check if the issue already exists in the GitHub issue tracker

2. If not, create a new issue with:

   • A clear, descriptive title

   • A detailed description of the issue

   • Steps to reproduce (for bugs)

   • Your environment information (Python version, OS, etc.)

   • Any relevant logs or screenshots

Thank you for contributing to rms-link-checker!