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Contributing to shinypayload

Source: .github/CONTRIBUTING.md

We love your input! We want to make contributing to shinypayload as easy and transparent as possible, whether it’s:

  • Reporting a bug
  • Discussing the current state of the code
  • Submitting a fix
  • Proposing new features
  • Becoming a maintainer

🚀 Quick Start

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Clone your fork: git clone https://github.com/yourusername/shinypayload.git
  3. Install development dependencies: devtools::load_all()
  4. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature
  5. Make your changes
  6. Test your changes: devtools::test()
  7. Check the package: devtools::check()
  8. Commit your changes: git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'
  9. Push to your branch: git push origin feature/amazing-feature
  10. Open a Pull Request

🐛 Bug Reports

We use GitHub issues to track public bugs. Report a bug by opening a new issue.

Great Bug Reports tend to have:

  • A quick summary and/or background
  • Steps to reproduce
    • Be specific!
    • Give sample code if you can
  • What you expected would happen
  • What actually happens
  • Notes (possibly including why you think this might be happening, or stuff you tried that didn’t work)

💡 Feature Requests

We welcome feature requests! Please:

  1. Check existing issues to avoid duplicates
  2. Describe the problem you’re trying to solve
  3. Describe the solution you’d like to see
  4. Consider alternatives you’ve thought about
  5. Provide examples of how it would be used

🔧 Development Setup

# Install development dependencies
install.packages(c("devtools", "testthat", "roxygen2", "styler", "lintr"))

# Load the package
devtools::load_all()

# Run tests
devtools::test()

# Check package
devtools::check()

# Generate documentation
devtools::document()

📝 Code Style

We use automated code styling. Before submitting:

# Style your code
styler::style_pkg()

# Check for linting issues (optional)
lintr::lint_package()

Key Principles

  • Be consistent with existing code
  • Use meaningful names for functions and variables
  • Write clear documentation with roxygen2
  • Include tests for new functionality
  • Follow tidyverse style where applicable

🧪 Testing

We maintain high test coverage. When adding features:

  1. Write tests first (TDD approach preferred)
  2. Test edge cases and error conditions
  3. Use descriptive test names
  4. Group related tests in contexts
# Run all tests
devtools::test()

# Run specific test file
devtools::test(filter = "payload")

# Test with coverage
covr::package_coverage()

📚 Documentation

Function Documentation

Use roxygen2 for all exported functions:

#' Brief description
#'
#' Longer description if needed
#'
#' @param param_name Description of parameter
#' @return Description of return value
#' @export
#' @examples
#' \dontrun{
#' example_usage()
#' }
my_function <- function(param_name) {
  # implementation
}

Examples

  • Include realistic examples
  • Use \dontrun{} for examples requiring external services
  • Ensure examples actually work
  • Show common use cases

🚦 Pull Request Process

  1. Update documentation for any new/changed functionality
  2. Add tests that prove your fix/feature works
  3. Ensure CI passes - all tests, checks, and style requirements
  4. Update NEWS.md if your change is user-facing
  5. Be patient - maintainers will review when possible

PR Checklist

🏷️ Versioning

We use Semantic Versioning. For the versions available, see the tags on this repository.

📄 License

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

🤝 Code of Conduct

This project follows the Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct. By participating, you are expected to uphold this code.

Our Standards

  • Be welcoming to newcomers
  • Be respectful of differing viewpoints
  • Accept constructive criticism gracefully
  • Focus on community benefit
  • Show empathy towards community members

📞 Questions?

Don’t hesitate to ask! You can:

  • Open an issue for bug reports or feature requests
  • Start a discussion for questions
  • Email the maintainer:

🙏 Recognition

Contributors will be recognized in:

  • README.md acknowledgments
  • NEWS.md release notes
  • DESCRIPTION file (for significant contributions)

Thank you for making shinypayload better! 🎉