Contribute

Help improve OctoMY™ by contributing code, documentation, or ideas.

Pro Tip

Before starting a large feature, open a GitHub issue to discuss the approach. This ensures your work aligns with project direction and avoids duplicate effort with other contributors.

Ways to contribute

Getting started

1. Fork the repository

1. Go to github.com/mrdeveloperdude/OctoMY
2. Click Fork
3. Clone your fork:

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/OctoMY.git
cd OctoMY
git remote add upstream https://github.com/mrdeveloperdude/OctoMY.git

2. Create a branch

# Update your fork
git fetch upstream
git checkout master
git merge upstream/master

# Create feature branch
git checkout -b feature/my-new-feature

3. Make changes

• Write code following the style guide
• Add tests for new features
• Update documentation if needed

4. Commit changes

# Stage changes
git add .

# Commit with descriptive message
git commit -m "Add feature: description of what this does"

5. Submit pull request

# Push to your fork
git push origin feature/my-new-feature

Then:

1. Go to your fork on GitHub
2. Click Compare & pull request
3. Fill in the PR template
4. Submit

Code style guide

C++ style

OctoMY™ follows Qt coding conventions:

// Class names: PascalCase
class MyNewClass : public QObject {
    Q_OBJECT

public:
    // Method names: camelCase
    void doSomething();
    int getValue() const;

private:
    // Member variables: mPrefixCamelCase
    QString mName;
    int mValue{0};
};

Indentation

• Use tabs for indentation
• Align with spaces where needed
• Opening brace on same line

if (condition) {
    doSomething();
} else {
    doSomethingElse();
}

Comments

/**
 * \brief Brief description of the function.
 *
 * Detailed description if needed.
 *
 * \param name Description of parameter
 * \return Description of return value
 */
QString processData(const QString &name);

Header guards

Use #pragma once:

#pragma once

#include <QObject>

class MyClass {
    // ...
};

Commit messages

Format

<type>: <short description>

<detailed description if needed>

<footer with issue references>

Types

Examples

feat: Add Bluetooth pairing support

Implements BLE scanning and pairing for mobile devices.
Uses Qt Bluetooth module for cross-platform support.

Closes #123

fix: Resolve servo jitter on high-frequency updates

Reduce update rate from 100Hz to 50Hz when multiple
servos are active to prevent power supply issues.

Fixes #456

Pull request guidelines

Before submitting

• [ ] Code compiles without warnings
• [ ] All tests pass
• [ ] New features have tests
• [ ] Documentation is updated
• [ ] Code follows style guide
• [ ] Commits are clean and logical

PR description template

## Summary
Brief description of changes.

## Changes
- Added X feature
- Fixed Y bug
- Updated Z documentation

## Testing
How to test these changes.

## Screenshots
If applicable, include screenshots.

## Related Issues
Closes #123

Review process

1. Automated checks run on PR
2. Maintainer review within a few days
3. Feedback may request changes
4. Approval and merge when ready

Development setup

Build tools

# Install development dependencies
sudo apt install qt6-base-dev qt6-tools-dev qbs
sudo apt install clang-format cppcheck

# Clone with dev tools
git clone --recursive https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/OctoMY.git

Code formatting

# Format code before committing
clang-format -i src/**/*.cpp src/**/*.hpp

# Or use Qt Creator's built-in formatter

Static analysis

# Run cppcheck
cppcheck --enable=all src/

# Run clang-tidy
clang-tidy src/**/*.cpp

Testing requirements

New features

Every new feature needs:

1. Unit tests for core logic
2. Integration tests for UI components
3. Documentation in appropriate section

Bug fixes

Bug fixes should include:

1. Test case reproducing the bug
2. Fix that passes the test
3. No regression in other tests

Test location

test/
├── testClassName/
│   ├── TestClassName.cpp
│   └── TestClassName.hpp
└── tests.qbs

Documentation contributions

Types of docs

Documentation style

• Use clear, simple language
• Include code examples
• Add diagrams where helpful
• Link to related pages

Adding a new page

1. Create .md file with frontmatter
2. Add to navigation index
3. Include cross-references

Issue reporting

Bug reports

Include:

• Version of OctoMY™
• Platform (Linux, Android, etc.)
• Steps to reproduce
• Expected behavior
• Actual behavior
• Logs if available

Feature requests

Include:

• Use case - Why is this needed?
• Proposed solution - How might it work?
• Alternatives - Other approaches considered?

Community

Communication

• GitHub Issues - Bug reports and features
• GitHub Discussions - General questions
• Pull Requests - Code contributions

Code of conduct

• Be respectful and constructive
• Help newcomers
• Focus on technical merit
• Assume good intentions

Recognition

Contributors are recognized in:

• CONTRIBUTORS.md file
• Release notes
• Documentation credits

Legal

License

OctoMY™ is licensed under GPLv3. By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the same terms.

Copyright

• Keep copyright notices intact
• Add your name to modified files
• Don't remove other contributors' names