Contributing

We welcome contributions to SPADE_LLM! This guide will help you get started.

How to contribute

1. Fork the repository on GitHub
2. Clone your fork locally
3. Create a branch for your changes
4. Make your changes and test them
5. Submit a pull request

Development Setup

See the Development Guide for detailed instructions on setting up your environment, running tests, and contributing code.

Types of Contributions

Bug Reports

When reporting bugs, please include:

• Clear description of the problem
• Steps to reproduce the issue
• Expected vs actual behavior
• Environment details (Python version, OS, etc.)
• Minimal code example that reproduces the bug

Feature Requests

For new features, please:

• Check existing issues to avoid duplicates
• Describe the use case and motivation
• Propose implementation approach if possible
• Consider backward compatibility

Submitting Changes

Pull Request Process

1. Create a feature branch

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
   

2. Make your changes

3. Write code
4. Add tests

5. Update documentation

6. Test your changes

   uv run pytest
   uv run ruff check .
   

7. Commit with clear messages

   git add .
   git commit -m "Add feature: clear description of changes"
   

8. Push to your fork

   git push origin feature/your-feature-name
   

9. Create pull request on GitHub

Pull Request Guidelines

• Clear title describing the change
• Detailed description of what and why
• Link related issues using keywords (fixes #123)
• Include screenshots for UI changes
• Check that CI passes

Development Guidelines

Architecture Principles

• Extend, don't replace SPADE functionality
• Maintain compatibility with existing SPADE agents
• Use async/await throughout
• Keep interfaces simple and consistent
• Favor composition over inheritance

Release Process

Version Numbering

We use semantic versioning (semver):

• Major (X.0.0) - Breaking changes
• Minor (0.X.0) - New features, backward compatible
• Patch (0.0.X) - Bug fixes, backward compatible

Release Checklist

• [ ] All tests pass
• [ ] Documentation updated
• [ ] Changelog updated
• [ ] Version bumped
• [ ] Release notes prepared
• [ ] Tagged release created

Community

Getting Help

• GitHub Issues - Bug reports and feature requests
• Discussions - General questions and ideas
• Documentation - Comprehensive guides and API reference

Code of Conduct

• Be respectful and inclusive
• Help others learn and contribute
• Focus on constructive feedback
• Follow project guidelines and standards

Recognition

Contributors are recognized in:

• CONTRIBUTORS.md file
• Release notes for significant contributions
• Documentation acknowledgments

Thank you for contributing to SPADE_LLM!