# Contributing

Quilt is an open source project, and we welcome contributions from the community.

Contributors must adhere to the [Code of Conduct](https://github.com/quiltdata/quilt/blob/master/docs/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md).

If you are looking for a quick map of where major components live, start with the repository [`README.md`](https://github.com/quiltdata/quilt/blob/master/README.md).

### Reporting issues

Unsure about something? To get support, check out our [Slack community](https://slack.quilt.bio).

Found a bug? File it in our [GitHub issues](https://github.com/quiltdata/quilt/issues).

### Cloning

To work on `quilt` you will first need to clone the repository.

```bash
git clone https://github.com/quiltdata/quilt
```

You can then set up your own branch version of the code, and work on your changes for a pull request from there.

```bash
cd quilt
git checkout -B new-branch-name
```

### Local package development

Choose your area first:

* Python SDK and CLI work: `api/python`
* Web catalog work: `catalog`
* AWS services and background processing: `lambdas`
* Platform and user docs: `docs`

#### Python Environment

We use [`uv`](https://github.com/astral-sh/uv) for dependency management. First, install `uv`:

```bash
# macOS/Linux
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

# Or with pip
pip install uv
```

`uv` ensures the environment is properly set up before executing a command, so you don't have to do anything else.

Run `uv run poe` to see all configured tasks (or refer to `pyproject.toml`).

#### Python Testing

All new code contributions are expected to have complete unit test coverage, and to pass all preexisting tests.

Use `pytest` to test your changes during normal development:

```bash
cd api/python
# Run all tests
uv run poe test

# Run tests verbosely
uv run poe test-verbose

# Run with coverage
uv run poe test-cov

# Run specific test file directly
uv run poe test tests/test_util.py
```

### Local catalog development

Note that, at the current time, it is only possible to run a local catalog if you already have a catalog deployed to AWS, because the catalog relies on certain services (namely, AWS Lambda and the AWS Elasticsearch Service) which cannot be run locally.

#### Catalog Environment

Use `npm` to install the catalog dependencies locally:

```bash
cd catalog
npm install
```

#### Build

To build a static code bundle, as would be necessary in order to serve the catalog:

```bash
npm run build
```

To run the catalog locally, create a development config:

```bash
cp config.js.example static-dev/config.js
# edit static-dev/config.js for your environment
```

To run the catalog in developer mode:

```bash
npm start
```

This uses `webpack` under the hood to compile code changes on the fly and provide live reloading, useful when developing.

Make sure that any images you check into the repository are [optimized](https://kinsta.com/blog/optimize-images-for-web/) at check-in time.

#### Catalog Testing

To run the catalog unit tests:

```bash
npm run test
```

### Creating a release

1. Once you are ready to cut a new release, update the version in `api/python/pyproject.toml` ([`uv version`](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/guides/package/#updating-your-version) can help with this) and in `docs/CHANGELOG.md`.
2. Create PR with these changes.
3. Once PR is merged, create a tag from commit with merge: `git tag $VERSION $COMMIT_HASH`.
4. Once you push the tag to GitHub with `git push origin $VERSION` a new CI build that makes PyPI release is triggered.

### Updating documentation

Documentation is served via GitBook, and is based on the `docs/` folder in the `master` branch of the `quilt` repository.

Documentation changes go live at pull request merge time. There is currently no way to preview documentation updates except locally.

#### Updating the API Reference

The API Reference section of the documentation is served by processing the docstrings in the codebase using a script. We use [our own fork](https://github.com/quiltdata/pydoc-markdown/tree/quilt) of the `pydoc-markdown` package to do the necessary work.

To modify the API Reference, modify the docstring associated with a method of interest.

Then, run `uv run poe gendocs` from the `api/python` directory.

The resulting files will land in `docs/` and will be ready to be checked in.

#### Updating everything else

All other pages in the documentation are served from corresponding Markdown pages in the `docs` directory. To edit the page, edit the Markdown file. Then check that file in.

### License

Quilt is open source under the [Apache License, Version 2.0](https://github.com/quiltdata/quilt/blob/master/LICENSE/README.md).


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