Contributing to vogen.serialization

This guide provides an overview of how to contribute to the vogen.serialization project.

Understanding the Project

vogen.serialization is a library that allows developers to generate strongly-typed C# code for serializing and deserializing data. The project is written in C# and targets the .NET ecosystem.

Contributing Options

There are several ways you can contribute to this project:

• Fixing Bugs: Identify and fix bugs reported in the issue tracker.
• Implementing New Features: Propose and implement new features based on the project’s roadmap or community needs.
• Improving Documentation: Enhance the existing documentation, write new documentation, or create tutorials.
• Writing Tests: Contribute new test cases to ensure code quality and maintainability.

Getting Started

1. Fork the Repository: Create a fork of the official repository on GitHub. This will create a copy of the project under your GitHub account.

2. Clone your Fork: Clone your forked repository to your local machine:

git clone [email protected]:your-username/vogen.serialization.git

3. Set Up a Development Environment: Install the necessary tools and dependencies:

• Visual Studio: https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/
• .NET SDK: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download

4. Build the Project: Verify that the project builds successfully:

dotnet build

5. Run Tests: Ensure all tests pass:

dotnet test

6. Create a Branch: Create a new branch for your changes:

git checkout -b feature/my-new-feature

7. Make Your Changes: Implement your bug fix, feature, or documentation update.

8. Commit Your Changes: Commit your changes with a descriptive message:

git add .
git commit -m "feat(my-new-feature): Add a new feature"

9. Push to Your Fork: Push your branch to your forked repository:

git push origin feature/my-new-feature

10. Create a Pull Request: Open a pull request on the official repository to merge your changes into the main branch. Be sure to provide a clear description of your changes and address any feedback from reviewers.

Additional Tips

• Code Style: Follow the existing code style and formatting conventions of the project.
• Code Review: Be open to feedback and suggestions from other contributors and project maintainers.
• Testing: Write unit tests to ensure the functionality of your changes.
• Documentation: Update the documentation to reflect any changes you make.
• Communication: Engage with the community and project maintainers to discuss your contributions and get feedback.

Useful Commands

• Build: dotnet build - Builds the solution and its dependencies.
• Run: dotnet run - Runs the application with the default entry point.
• Test: dotnet test - Runs all the tests in the solution.
• Deploy: dotnet publish - Publishes the application as a ready-to-run package.
• Benchmarks: dotnet run tests\benchmarks\Program.cs - Runs the benchmarks as described in the README.md.

This guide should help you get started contributing to the vogen.serialization project. Happy coding!