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Contributing Guidelines

Thank you for considering contributing to Open Code Chicago!
We welcome contributions of all skill levels.

Before You Start

  • Please read our Code of Conduct
  • Check out the Usage Guide to run the project locally
  • Look at open issues to see where you can help
  • Review our Project Board to see available tasks
    • Comment on the task you’d like to work on so a maintainer can assign it to you
    • This helps avoid duplicate work and keeps efforts coordinated

How to Contribute

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Pick a task from the Project Board or from open issues
    • Comment to claim it before starting work
  3. Create a branch for your work (e.g. feature/awesome-feature or fix/typo)
  4. Make your changes and commit with clear, descriptive messages
  5. Open a Pull Request (PR) to the main branch
    • Reference any related issues (e.g. Closes #123)
    • Keep PRs small and focused — easier to review and merge

Backend API & Environment Variables

  • The backend API is available at:
    https://corexshoptest.onrender.com/api
  • The frontend uses the environment variable VITE_API_URL to connect to the backend.
  • Before running the project, copy .env.example to .env: 
    cp .env.example .env
  • You can then use import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL in your code to access the API URL.

Guidelines

  • Use clear, descriptive commit messages
  • Keep your PR focused on a single change
  • Follow code style (Prettier config is included in the project)
  • Run npm run lint before pushing
  • Write clean, well-documented code
  • Add/update tests if relevant

Dependencies & Packages

  • All dependencies are tracked in package.json.
  • Please do not install or commit new packages without first discussing in an issue or PR.
  • If you believe a new dependency is required:
    1. Open or comment on an issue explaining why it’s needed.
    2. Wait for maintainer approval before adding it.
  • The node_modules folder should not be committed — it is auto-generated by npm install.
  • Always run npm install after cloning the repo to get the correct dependencies.

Get Recognized with the All-Contributors Bot

We use the All Contributors Bot to recognize and celebrate all types of contributions.

How to add yourself:

  1. After your Pull Request is merged, comment on the PR or in a new issue with:

    @all-contributors please add @your-github-username for code, doc, ideas

  2. The bot will create a Pull Request to add you to the contributors table in the README.

  3. A maintainer will review and merge the bot’s PR.

Example:

@all-contributors please add @Alexandrbig1 for code, doc, maintenance, projectManagement

If you have questions, ask in your PR or open an issue!

Issues

  • Use issues to report bugs, request features, or ask questions
  • Before opening a new issue, check if it already exists
  • Apply labels when possible (bug, enhancement, good first issue)

Getting Help

If you’re stuck or unsure:

⭐ Support the Project

If you find this project helpful or enjoy contributing, please consider giving us a ⭐ on GitHub!
Starring the repo helps increase its visibility, attracts more contributors, and makes your contributions more visible and valuable for your portfolio or employer. Thank you for supporting open source!

Every contribution matters — big or small. ❤️
Thank you for helping make Open Code Chicago better!