.. _how-to-contribute:

How To Contribute
-----------------

We're thrilled that you're interested in contributing to POSYDON! Whether you're a developer, a scientist, or an enthusiast, your contributions can help improve this project. Below are some guidelines to get you started.

Prerequisites
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before contributing, it's essential to familiarize yourself with:

- The POSYDON codebase and its structure.
- The development workflow and the tools used.
- Our code of conduct.

Setting Up Your Development Environment
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. **Fork the Repository**: Navigate to `POSYDON's GitHub page <https://github.com/POSYDON-code/POSYDON.git>` and click the 'Fork' button to create a copy of the repository in your personal GitHub account.
2. **Clone Your Fork**: Once forked, clone the repository to your local machine:

.. code-block:: bash

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/POSYDON.git

3. **Install Dependencies**: Navigate to the cloned repository and install necessary dependencies:

.. code-block:: bash

   pip install .

Making a Contribution
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. **Choose an Issue**: Look for open issues on our GitHub page. It's a good idea to comment on an issue you're interested in to let the maintainers know you're planning to work on it.
2. **Create a New Branch**: Before making changes, create a new branch for your contribution:

.. code-block:: bash

   git checkout -b your-branch-name

3. **Make Your Changes**: Once you've made changes, test them thoroughly to ensure they don't introduce new bugs.
4. **Commit and Push Your Changes**: Commit your changes with a meaningful commit message, and then push them to your fork:

.. code-block:: bash

   git commit -m "Your meaningful commit message"
   git push origin your-branch-name

5. **Submit a Pull Request (PR)**: Go to your fork on GitHub and click on 'Compare & pull request'. Fill out the PR form and submit it. Wait for the maintainers to review your changes.

Code of Conduct
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We value our community's safety and well-being. Please ensure that your contributions and interactions adhere to our code of conduct. Any form of harassment, bullying, or inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated.

Feedback and Questions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have feedback or questions, please don't hesitate to reach out, see the :ref:`contact us <contact_info>` page or check our FAQ section on :ref:`code usage <code-usage>`.

Additional Resources
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- **POSYDON Documentation**: Dive deeper into POSYDON's features, architecture, and best practices.
- **Community Chat/Forum**: Engage with other community members, seek help, share your ideas, and discuss relevant topics.

Thank you for your interest in contributing to POSYDON. Together, we can achieve great things!