Contributing source code

We encourage contributions to Zotonic from the community!

1. Fork the zotonic repository on Github (at https://github.com/zotonic/zotonic).

2. Clone your fork or add the remote if you already have a clone of the repository:

   git clone git@github.com:yourusername/zotonic.git
   

   or:

   git remote add mine git@github.com:yourusername/zotonic.git
   

3. Create a topic branch for your change:

   git checkout -b some-topic-branch
   

4. Make your change and commit. Use a clear and descriptive commit message, spanning multiple lines if detailed explanation is needed.

5. Push to your fork of the repository and then send a pull-request through Github:

   git push mine some-topic-branch
   

6. A Zotonic committer will review your patch and merge it into the main repository or send you feedback. The pull request page on github is the main place to discuss the code and related topics.

Writing Commit Messages

The Zotonic commit convention are slightly based on rebar’s README.

Structure your commit message like this:

prefix: One line summary (less than 50 characters)

Longer description, multiline text that is supposed to wrap at 72
characters.

Fixes #403

• Prefix: Every commit message must start with one of the designated commit prefixes:

• mod_foobar: Changes that are related to a single module should be prefixed with the module name.
• doc: For changes to the documentation, everything below doc/
• scripts: for changes to the zotonic command and its helper scripts.
• build: for the build system and related changes.
• tests: for unit tests and the testsandbox.
• skel: for the skeleton sites.
• zotonic_status: for the default site.
• translation: for new/updated translations.
• core: For changes in the src, include or deps folder; e.g. anything not covered by another tag.

• The summary should be less than 50 characters, and tell what was changed. Use the imperative present tense (fix, add, change). For example: Add ‘foobar’ filter, Fix bug in media upload service.
• The description should explain the intention and implementation of your approach, in the present tense.
• Optionally, when your commit fixes a bug on github, add Fixes #1545 on a separate line below the description.

Notice the empty line preceding the longer description and the “Fixes” tag.

Git best practices

• Please maintain commit atomicity by breaking up logical changes into separate commits; e.g., do not commit unrelated fixes into a single commit.
• Make whitespace changes separately.
• When updating from the Zotonic source, please use git pull --rebase to prevent unnecessary merge commits.
• Generally, try to Mind your Git Manners.

The CONTRIBUTORS file

When this is your first contribution to Zotonic, you are welcome to add your name and e-mail address to the CONTRIBUTORS file in the root of the project. Please keep the file alphabetically ordered.