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Guidelines for Contributing to QubiPy

We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help make QubiPy better:

Ways to Contribute

  • Submit bug reports and feature requests
  • Improve documentation
  • Write code patches
  • Create or improve tests
  • Review pull requests

Getting Started

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create your feature branch: git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature
  3. Commit your changes: git commit -m 'feat: add amazing feature'
  4. Push to the branch: git push origin feature/amazing-feature
  5. Open a Pull Request

Guidelines

Before Contributing

  • Check if an issue already exists for your problem
  • Follow our coding standards and conventions
  • Write meaningful commit messages (we use Conventional Commits)
  • Include tests for new features
  • Update documentation as needed

Quick Links

Code Style

Python Style Guide

  • Follow PEP 8 style guidelines
  • Use meaningful variable and function names
  • Keep functions focused and concise
  • Add docstrings to all public methods and classes
  • Maximum line length: 88 characters

Docstring Format

def example_function(param1: str, param2: int) -> bool:
    """Short description of function.

    Longer description if needed.

    Parameters
    ----------
    param1 : str
        Description of param1
    param2 : int
        Description of param2

    Returns
    -------
    bool
        Description of return value

    Raises
    ------
    ValueError
        When and why this error is raised
    """
    pass

Commit Messages

Commit Message Format

<type>(<scope>): <description>

[optional body]

[optional footer]

Types

  • feat: New feature
  • fix: Bug fix
  • docs: Documentation changes
  • style: Code style changes (formatting, semicolons, etc)
  • refactor: Code refactoring
  • test: Adding or modifying tests
  • chore: Maintenance tasks

Examples

feat(rpc): add new transaction broadcast method
fix(core): resolve connection timeout issue
docs: update installation instructions
test: add unit tests for core client

Good Commit Messages Should

  • Be clear and concise
  • Describe what changes were made and why
  • Reference issue numbers when applicable
  • Use the imperative mood ("add" not "added")

Pull Request Process

Step by Step

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
  3. Make your changes
  4. Run tests
  5. Update documentation if needed
  6. Commit your changes (following commit message guidelines)
  7. Push to your fork
  8. Create a Pull Request

Before Submitting

Checklist

Make sure:

  • Tests are passing
  • Documentation is updated
  • Code follows style guidelines
  • Commit messages follow guidelines
  • Branch is up to date with main

Example PR Description Template

## Description
Please include a summary of the change and which issue is fixed.

## Type of change

- [ ] Bug fix (non-breaking change which fixes an issue)
- [ ] New feature (non-breaking change which adds functionality)
- [ ] Breaking change (fix or feature that would cause existing functionality to not work as expected)
- [ ] Documentation update

## Checklist

- [ ] My code follows the style guidelines of this project
- [ ] I have performed a self-review of my own code
- [ ] I have commented my code, particularly in hard-to-understand areas
- [ ] I have made corresponding changes to the documentation
- [ ] My changes generate no new warnings

Testing

Running Tests

# Run all tests
pytest

# Run specific test file
pytest tests/test_rpc.py

# Run with coverage report
pytest --cov=qubipy tests/

Test Guidelines

Writing Tests

  • Write tests for all new features and bug fixes
  • Use descriptive test names that explain the scenario
  • Include docstrings explaining the test's purpose
  • Mock external API calls
  • Test both success and failure cases

Test Structure

We use pytest fixtures defined in conftest.py for:

  • Mocking API responses
  • Providing sample test data
  • Setting up test clients
  • Common test configurations

Before Pushing

Make sure to:

  • Run the full test suite
  • Check test coverage
  • Verify no tests are failing

Need Help?

Have Questions?

Code of Conduct

Please note that this project adheres to a Code of Conduct. By participating in this project, you agree to abide by its terms.