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Contributing to Notes Sharing Platform

Thank you for your interest in improving Notes Sharing Platform! We welcome contributions of all sizes — bug fixes, documentation improvements, UI tweaks (non-breaking), tests, and new features.

⚠️ Note: Do not change the existing UI layout or component structure without approval from a maintainer. Small styling tweaks for responsiveness or accessibility are fine but major UI changes require a design discussion in an issue first.

Table of Contents

How to get started

  1. Fork the repository.
  2. Clone your fork: 
    git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/notes-sharing-platform.git
cd notes-sharing-platform
  3. Create a branch:
    • Feature: feature/short-description
    • Bugfix: fix/short-description
    git checkout -b feature/your-feature

Development setup

Install

cd backend && npm install
cd ../frontend && npm install

Environment Create .env files in backend/ and frontend/.

Run locally

cd backend && npm start
cd frontend && npm run dev

Branching & commit guidelines

Branch naming

  • feature/<short-description>
  • fix/<short-description>
  • chore/<short-description>
  • docs/<short-description>

Commit message format

type(scope): Short description

Types: feat, fix, docs, chore, refactor, test.

Example:

feat(auth): add Google OAuth success redirect

Pull request process

  1. Push your branch to your fork.
  2. Open a Pull Request targeting the main branch of the upstream repo.
  3. Fill in the PR template.
  4. Link related issues (e.g., Fixes #123).
  5. Address feedback and keep commits clean.

Checklist

  • Branch is up-to-date with main
  • Code follows existing patterns
  • No console errors or warnings
  • Relevant docs/tests updated

Reporting issues

Include:

  • Title and summary
  • Steps to reproduce
  • Expected vs actual behavior
  • Environment (OS, Node, Browser)
  • Screenshots/logs (if any)

Use provided issue templates.

Labels & Hacktoberfest

  • good first issue
  • help wanted
  • documentation
  • enhancement
  • bug
  • hacktoberfest

Need help?

Comment on an issue or start a discussion — maintainers are happy to help!

Thank you!

Your time and effort help students everywhere — thank you for supporting this project! 🎉