View source for Submitting patches and features

==Where Contributions to Our Code Base Go To==
The openPETRA source code is managed with the Git source code versioning system. The official repository of openPETRA can be browsed here: http://code.openpetra.org. This redirects to the OpenPetra Repository at Github.


==How We Handle Contributions to Our Code Base==
* Write permissions to '''git origin master''' are given only to the ''core members of the development team'', just to keep the project on one track. 
** We very much need your contributions though, and we will aim to quickly deal with requests from developers who want to submit patches and code!
* We accept ''contributions from non-core members of the development team'' '''only in a Github Pull Request'''.
** You can create your own fork on Github for each feature and for each bug you are working on.

See [[Submitting patches and features#Workflow for Contributions]] below for the actual workflow involved.


===Initial Setup for Contributing===
The contributor (=you) needs to have an account at Github, as we host the openPETRA Git repository on that website. 

Please follow the instructions at [[How to work with git on the command line]] or [[How to work with git through the GUI on Windows]] to get an account at Github.

===Workflow for Contributions===
# An Issue needs to be created for every single contribution if there isn't already a bug for it (the bug can also be marked as 'Feature' if it is a feature and not a bug!). The issues are managed in the Github project. 
# You create your own fork of OpenPetra at Github.
## Only ''You'' will have write access to this fork
## ''Everybody else'' can see that this fork exists and has read-only access to it
# You can work on the fork until the the bug is fixed or a new feature is implemented. 
## Be sure to do frequent 'rebases'/'merges' from the openPETRA ''trunk'' to ensure that you have changes that are done in trunk and that your code still compiles against it. 
## You can commit changes to your branch at any time. 
### We encourage you to commit your changes to your branch frequently.
### Commit your own changes to your branch ''before'' doing a rebase/merge. In that way your changes are kept in separate commits from the changes that others did.
### Commit the changes that came in through a rebase/merge to your branch ''immediately after'' doing a rebase/merge. In that way changes that others did (in trunk) are kept in separate commits from your changes. Use our standard commit message 'merge from trunk'.
# Once you are done with your bug fix or implementation of a feature:
## Ensure everything is committed that you want committed; revert or delete any other files.
## Do a last 'rebase'/'merge' from the openPETRA trunk to ensure that you have changes that are done in trunk and that your code still compiles against it. 
### Resolve any Conflicts. This is best done with the kdiff3 tool (for details see [[How to work with bazaar through the GUI on Windows#Setup_your_environment |Setup your environment]] and [[How to work with bazaar through the GUI on Windows#Resolve_conflicts |Resolve conflicts]] sections.)
### Commit just that merge with commit message 'merge from trunk'.
## Run <code>nant generateSolution</code>. If you figure that the merge from trunk might have changed significant things in Project files, or has added / deleted C# files then it is prudent to run <code>nant quickClean</code> first to ensure that <code>nant generateSolution</code> is off to a clean start.
## Run Unit tests which you might have created in the process and the ones which already exist for the entire openPETRA project after the last 'rebase'/'merge' with command <code>nant test</code>.
## Run Uncrustify, our 'code beautifier', using command <code>nant uncrustify</code>. If it made any changes then commit them separately with the simple commit message 'uncrustify'.
## Make a request to the core development team members to review your changes and to merge your changes to the openPETRA master.
### Create a Github pull request. See https://help.github.com/articles/using-pull-requests/ for details.
# Once your contribution has been reviewed and it got approved, the changes from your developer branch will be merged into the offical openPETRA trunk by a core developer. You will be informed once this has happened.
# You are ready for another contribution ;-)