Contributing to zig-starter

On this page 12

Thank you for your interest in contributing to zig-starter! This document provides guidelines and instructions for contributing.

Getting Started

Fork the repository

Fork on GitHub, then clone your fork

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/zig-starter.git cd zig-starter


2. **Install dependencies**

```bash
pantry install

Create a feature branch
```
git checkout -b feature/my-feature
```

or

git checkout -b fix/my-bugfix


## Development Guidelines

### Code Style

- Follow Zig's official style guide
- Use 4 spaces for indentation
- Maximum line length: 100 characters
- Use meaningful variable and function names
- Add documentation comments for public APIs

### Commit Messages

We follow [Conventional Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/):


<!--BUNPRESS_CODE_0-->


**Types:**

- `feat`: New feature
- `fix`: Bug fix
- `docs`: Documentation changes
- `test`: Adding or updating tests
- `refactor`: Code refactoring
- `perf`: Performance improvements
- `chore`: Maintenance tasks
- `ci`: CI/CD changes

**Examples:**


<!--BUNPRESS_CODE_1-->


### Testing

- Write tests for all new features
- Ensure all tests pass before submitting PR
- Aim for high test coverage


<!--BUNPRESS_CODE_2-->


### Pull Request Process

1. **Update your branch**

```bash
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main

Run tests and formatting
```
zig build test
zig fmt src/
```
Push your changes
```
git push origin feature/my-feature
```
Create Pull Request
- Provide clear description of changes
- Reference any related issues
- Include screenshots for UI changes
- Ensure CI checks pass
Address review feedback
- Make requested changes
- Push updates to the same branch
- Re-request review when ready

Pull Request Template

## Description
Brief description of the changes

## Type of Change

- [ ] Bug fix
- [ ] New feature
- [ ] Breaking change
- [ ] Documentation update

## Testing
Describe how you tested the changes

## Checklist

- [ ] Tests pass locally
- [ ] Code follows style guidelines
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] Commit messages follow convention

Building and Testing

Build Commands

# Development build
zig build

# Release build
zig build -Doptimize=ReleaseFast

# Clean build
rm -rf zig-cache zig-out && zig build

Test Commands

# All tests
zig build test

# Verbose output
zig build test --verbose

# Filter tests
zig build test --test-filter "StarterLib"

Adding Dependencies

Update package.jsonc

{
  "dependencies": {
    "new-dep": "~/Code/new-dep"
  }
}

Install dependencies
```
pantry install
```

Update build.zig

const new_dep_mod = b.addModule("new-dep", .{
    .root_source_file = b.path("../new-dep/src/root.zig"),
    .target = target,
});

Documentation

Update README.md for user-facing changes
Add inline documentation for public APIs
Include code examples where helpful
Keep CONTRIBUTING.md up to date

Documentation Style

/// Brief description of the function
///
/// Longer description with usage examples:
///
/// ```zig
/// const result = processData("input");
/// if (result.isOk()) {
///     std.debug.print("{s}\n", .{result.unwrap()});
/// }
/// ```
///
/// @param data Input data to process
/// @return Result containing processed data or error
pub fn processData(data: []const u8) Result([]u8, ProcessError) {
    // ...
}

Release Process

Update version
```
bump minor --changelog
```
Review CHANGELOG.md
- Ensure all changes are documented
- Edit if needed for clarity
Create release
- Tag is created automatically by zig-bump
- Push to trigger CI/CD
```
git push --follow-tags
```

Getting Help

Issues: Check existing issues or create a new one
Discussions: Use GitHub Discussions for questions
Documentation: Refer to README.md and inline docs

Code of Conduct

Be respectful and inclusive
Welcome newcomers
Provide constructive feedback
Focus on the code, not the person

License

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the MIT License.

Thank you for contributing to zig-starter! 🎉