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171 lines
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171 lines
6.7 KiB
Plaintext
===========================
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Advice for new contributors
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===========================
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New contributor and not sure what to do? Want to help but just don't know how
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to get started? This is the section for you.
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.. admonition:: Get up and running!
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If you are new to contributing to Django, the :doc:`/intro/contributing`
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tutorial will give you an introduction to the tools and the workflow.
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This page contains more general advice on ways you can contribute to Django,
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and how to approach that.
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If you are looking for a reference on the details of making code contributions,
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see the :doc:`/internals/contributing/writing-code/index` documentation.
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First steps
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===========
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Start with these steps to discover Django's development process.
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Triage tickets
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--------------
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If an `unreviewed ticket`_ reports a bug, try and reproduce it. If you can
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reproduce it and it seems valid, make a note that you confirmed the bug and
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accept the ticket. Make sure the ticket is filed under the correct component
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area. Consider writing a patch that adds a test for the bug's behavior, even if
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you don't fix the bug itself. See more at :ref:`how-can-i-help-with-triaging`
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Review patches of accepted tickets
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----------------------------------
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This will help you build familiarity with the codebase and processes. Mark the
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appropriate flags if a patch needs docs or tests. Look through the changes a
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patch makes, and keep an eye out for syntax that is incompatible with older but
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still supported versions of Python. :doc:`Run the tests
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</internals/contributing/writing-code/unit-tests>` and make sure they pass.
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Where possible and relevant, try them out on a database other than SQLite.
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Leave comments and feedback!
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Keep old patches up-to-date
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---------------------------
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Oftentimes the codebase will change between a patch being submitted and the
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time it gets reviewed. Make sure it still applies cleanly and functions as
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expected. Updating a patch is both useful and important! See more on
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:doc:`writing-code/submitting-patches`.
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Write some documentation
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------------------------
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Django's documentation is great but it can always be improved. Did you find a
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typo? Do you think that something should be clarified? Go ahead and suggest a
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documentation patch! See also the guide on :doc:`writing-documentation`.
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.. note::
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The `reports page`_ contains links to many useful Trac queries, including
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several that are useful for triaging tickets and reviewing patches as
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suggested above.
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.. _reports page: https://code.djangoproject.com/wiki/Reports
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Sign the Contributor License Agreement
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--------------------------------------
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The code that you write belongs to you or your employer. If your contribution
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is more than one or two lines of code, you need to sign the `CLA`_. See the
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`Contributor License Agreement FAQ`_ for a more thorough explanation.
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.. _CLA: https://www.djangoproject.com/foundation/cla/
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.. _Contributor License Agreement FAQ: https://www.djangoproject.com/foundation/cla/faq/
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.. _unreviewed ticket: https://code.djangoproject.com/query?status=!closed&stage=Unreviewed
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Guidelines
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==========
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As a newcomer on a large project, it's easy to experience frustration. Here's
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some advice to make your work on Django more useful and rewarding.
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Pick a subject area
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-------------------
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This should be something that you care about, that you are familiar with or
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that you want to learn about. You don't already have to be an expert on the
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area you want to work on; you become an expert through your ongoing
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contributions to the code.
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Analyze tickets' context and history
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------------------------------------
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Trac isn't an absolute; the context is just as important as the words. When
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reading Trac, you need to take into account who says things, and when they were
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said. Support for an idea two years ago doesn't necessarily mean that the idea
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will still have support. You also need to pay attention to who *hasn't* spoken
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-- for example, if an experienced contributor hasn't been recently involved in
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a discussion, then a ticket may not have the support required to get into
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Django.
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Start small
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-----------
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It's easier to get feedback on a little issue than on a big one. See the
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`easy pickings`_.
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Confirm support before engaging in a big task
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---------------------------------------------
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This means getting someone else to confirm that a bug is real before you fix
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the issue, and ensuring that there's consensus on a proposed feature before you
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go implementing it.
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Be bold! Leave feedback!
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------------------------
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Sometimes it can be scary to put your opinion out to the world and say "this
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ticket is correct" or "this patch needs work", but it's the only way the
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project moves forward. The contributions of the broad Django community
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ultimately have a much greater impact than that of any one person. We can't do
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it without **you**!
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Be cautious when marking things "Ready For Check-in"
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----------------------------------------------------
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If you're really not certain if a ticket is ready, don't mark it as such. Leave
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a comment instead, letting others know your thoughts. If you're mostly certain,
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but not completely certain, you might also try asking on the
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``#contributing-getting-started`` channel in the `Django Discord server`_ to
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see if someone else can confirm your suspicions.
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.. _`Django Discord server`: https://discord.gg/xcRH6mN4fa
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Wait for feedback, and respond to feedback that you receive
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-----------------------------------------------------------
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Focus on one or two tickets, see them through from start to finish, and repeat.
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The shotgun approach of taking on lots of tickets and letting some fall by the
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wayside ends up doing more harm than good.
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Be rigorous
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-----------
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When we say ":pep:`8`, and must have docs and tests", we mean it. If a patch
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doesn't have docs and tests, there had better be a good reason. Arguments like
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"I couldn't find any existing tests of this feature" don't carry much weight.
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While it may be true, that means you have the extra-important job of writing
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the very first tests for that feature, not that you get a pass from writing
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tests altogether.
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Be patient
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----------
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It's not always easy for your ticket or your patch to be reviewed quickly. This
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isn't personal. There are a lot of tickets and pull requests to get through.
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Keeping your patch up to date is important. Review the ticket on Trac to ensure
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that the *Needs tests*, *Needs documentation*, and *Patch needs improvement*
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flags are unchecked once you've addressed all review comments.
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Remember that Django has an eight-month release cycle, so there's plenty of
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time for your patch to be reviewed.
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Finally, a well-timed reminder can help. See :ref:`contributing code FAQ
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<new-contributors-faq>` for ideas here.
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.. _easy pickings: https://code.djangoproject.com/query?status=!closed&easy=1
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