path: root/CONTRIBUTING.md

# Contribution Guidelines

This document contains guidelines for contributing code to aerc. It has to be
followed in order for your patch to be approved and applied.

## Contribution Channels

Anyone can contribute to aerc. First you need to clone the repository and build
the project:

    $ git clone https://git.sr.ht/~rjarry/aerc
    $ cd aerc
    $ make

Patch the code. Write some tests. Ensure that your code is properly formatted
with `gofumpt`. Ensure that everything builds and works as expected. Ensure
that you did not break anything.

- If applicable, update unit tests.
- If adding a new feature, please consider adding new tests.
- Do not forget to update the docs.
- If your commit brings visible changes for end-users, add an entry in the
  *Unreleased* section of the
  [CHANGELOG.md](https://git.sr.ht/~rjarry/aerc/tree/master/item/CHANGELOG.md)
  file.
- Run the linter using `make lint`. If notmuch is not available on your system
  you may have to edit `.golangci.toml` and disable the notmuch tag. [Otherwise
  you could get hard to trace false
  positives](https://github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/issues/3061)

Once you are happy with your work, you can create a commit (or several
commits). Follow these general rules:

- Limit the first line (title) of the commit message to 60 characters.
- Use a short prefix for the commit title for readability with `git log
  --oneline`. Do not use the `fix:` nor `feature:` prefixes. See recent commits
  for inspiration.
- Only use lower case letters for the commit title except when quoting symbols
  or known acronyms.
- Use the body of the commit message to actually explain what your patch does
  and why it is useful. Even if your patch is a one line fix, the description
  is not limited in length and may span over multiple paragraphs. Use proper
  English syntax, grammar and punctuation.
- Address only one issue/topic per commit.
- Describe your changes in imperative mood, e.g. *"make xyzzy do frotz"*
  instead of *"[This patch] makes xyzzy do frotz"* or *"[I] changed xyzzy to do
  frotz"*, as if you are giving orders to the codebase to change its behaviour.
- If you are fixing a ticket, use appropriate
  [commit trailers](https://man.sr.ht/git.sr.ht/#referencing-tickets-in-git-commit-messages).
- If you are fixing a regression introduced by another commit, add a `Fixes:`
  trailer with the commit id and its title.
- When in doubt, follow the format and layout of the recent existing commits.

There is a great reference for commit messages in the
[Linux kernel documentation](https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/process/submitting-patches.html#describe-your-changes).

IMPORTANT: you must sign-off your work using `git commit --signoff`. Follow the
[Linux kernel developer's certificate of origin][linux-signoff] for more
details. All contributions are made under the MIT license. If you do not want
to disclose your real name, you may sign-off using a pseudonym. Here is an
example:

    Signed-off-by: Robin Jarry <robin@jarry.cc>

Before sending the patch, you should configure your local clone with sane
defaults:

    $ make gitconfig
    git config format.subjectPrefix "PATCH aerc"
    git config sendemail.to "~rjarry/aerc-devel@lists.sr.ht"
    git config sendemail.validate true
    ln -sf ../../contrib/sendemail-validate-series .git/hooks/sendemail-validate

And send the patch to the mailing list ([step-by-step
instructions][git-send-email-tutorial]):

    $ git send-email --annotate -1

Before your patch can be applied, it needs to be reviewed and approved by
others. They will indicate their approval by replying to your patch with
a [Tested-by, Reviewed-by or Acked-by][linux-review] (see also: [the git
wiki][git-trailers]) trailer. For example:

    Acked-by: Robin Jarry <robin@jarry.cc>

There is no "chain of command" in aerc. Anyone that feels comfortable enough to
"ack" or "review" a patch should express their opinion freely with an official
Acked-by or Reviewed-by trailer. If you only tested that a patch works as
expected but did not conduct a proper code review, you can indicate it with
a Tested-by trailer.

You can follow the review process via email and on the [web ui][web-ui].

Wait for feedback. Address comments and amend changes to your original commit.
Then you should send a v2 (and maybe a v3, v4, etc.):

    $ git send-email --annotate -v2 -1

Be polite, patient and address *all* of the reviewers' remarks. If you disagree
with something, feel free to discuss it.

Once your patch has been reviewed and approved (and if the maintainer is OK
with it), it will be applied and pushed.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT use `--in-reply-to` when sending followup versions of a patch
set. It causes multiple versions of the same patch to be merged under v1 in the
[web ui][web-ui]

[web-ui]: https://lists.sr.ht/~rjarry/aerc-devel/patches

## Code Style

Please refer only to the quoted sections when guidelines are sourced from
outside documents as some rules of the source material may conflict with other
rules set out in this document.

When updating an existing file, respect the existing coding style unless there
is a good reason not to do so.

### Indentation

Indentation rules follow the Linux kernel coding style:

> Tabs are 8 characters, and thus indentations are also 8 characters. […]
>
> Rationale: The whole idea behind indentation is to clearly define where
> a block of control starts and ends. Especially when you’ve been looking at
> your screen for 20 straight hours, you’ll find it a lot easier to see how the
> indentation works if you have large indentations.
> — [Linux kernel coding style][linux-coding-style]

### Breaking long lines and strings

Wrapping rules follow the Linux kernel coding style:

> Coding style is all about readability and maintainability using commonly
> available tools.
>
> The preferred limit on the length of a single line is 80 columns.
>
> Statements longer than 80 columns should be broken into sensible chunks,
> unless exceeding 80 columns significantly increases readability and does not
> hide information.
> […]
> These same rules are applied to function headers with a long argument list.
>
> However, never break user-visible strings such as printk messages because
> that breaks the ability to grep for them.
> — [Linux kernel coding style][linux-coding-style]

Whether or not wrapping lines is acceptable can be discussed on IRC or the
mailing list, when in doubt.

### Functions

Function rules follow the Linux kernel coding style:

> Functions should be short and sweet, and do just one thing. They should fit
> on one or two screenfuls of text (the ISO/ANSI screen size is 80x24, as we
> all know), and do one thing and do that well.
>
> The maximum length of a function is inversely proportional to the complexity
> and indentation level of that function. So, if you have a conceptually simple
> function that is just one long (but simple) case-statement, where you have to
> do lots of small things for a lot of different cases, it’s OK to have
> a longer function.
>
> However, if you have a complex function, and you suspect that
> a less-than-gifted first-year high-school student might not even understand
> what the function is all about, you should adhere to the maximum limits all
> the more closely. Use helper functions with descriptive names (you can ask
> the compiler to in-line them if you think it’s performance-critical, and it
> will probably do a better job of it than you would have done).
>
> Another measure of the function is the number of local variables. They
> shouldn’t exceed 5-10, or you’re doing something wrong. Re-think the
> function, and split it into smaller pieces. A human brain can generally
> easily keep track of about 7 different things, anything more and it gets
> confused. You know you’re brilliant, but maybe you’d like to understand what
> you did 2 weeks from now.
> — [Linux kernel coding style][linux-coding-style]

### Commenting

Function rules follow the Linux kernel coding style:

> Comments are good, but there is also a danger of over-commenting. NEVER try
> to explain HOW your code works in a comment: it’s much better to write the
> code so that the working is obvious, and it’s a waste of time to explain
> badly written code.
>
> Generally, you want your comments to tell WHAT your code does, not HOW. Also,
> try to avoid putting comments inside a function body: if the function is so
> complex that you need to separately comment parts of it, you should probably
> go back to [the previous section regarding functions] for a while. You can
> make small comments to note or warn about something particularly clever (or
> ugly), but try to avoid excess. Instead, put the comments at the head of the
> function, telling people what it does, and possibly WHY it does it.
>
> When commenting […] API functions, please use the [GoDoc] format. See the
> [official documentation][godoc-comments] for details.
> — [Linux kernel coding style][linux-coding-style]

### Editor modelines

> Some editors can interpret configuration information embedded in source
> files, indicated with special markers. For example, emacs interprets lines
> marked like this:
>
>     -*- mode: c -*-
>
> Or like this:
>
>     /*
>     Local Variables:
>     compile-command: "gcc -DMAGIC_DEBUG_FLAG foo.c"
>     End:
>     */
>
> Vim interprets markers that look like this:
>
>     /* vim:set sw=8 noet */
>
> Do not include any of these in source files. People have their own personal
> editor configurations, and your source files should not override them. This
> includes markers for indentation and mode configuration. People may use
> their own custom mode, or may have some other magic method for making
> indentation work correctly.
> — [Linux kernel coding style][linux-coding-style]

In the same way, files specific to only your workflow (for example the `.idea`
or `.vscode` directory) are not desired. If a script might be useful to other
contributors, it can be sent as a separate patch that adds it to the `contrib`
directory. Since it is not editor-specific, an
[`.editorconfig`](https://git.sr.ht/~rjarry/aerc/tree/master/item/.editorconfig)
is available in the repository.

### Go-code

The Go-code follows the rules of [gofumpt][gofumpt-repo] which is equivalent to
gofmt but adds a few additional rules. The code can be automatically formatted
by running `make fmt`.

If gofumpt accepts your code it's most likely properly formatted.

### Logging

Aerc allows logging messages to a file. Either by redirecting the output to
a file (e.g. `aerc > aerc.log`), or by configuring `log-file` in ``aerc.conf`.
Logging messages are associated with a severity level, from lowest to highest:
`trace`, `debug`, `info`, `warn`, `error`.

Messages can be sent to the log file by using the following functions:

- `log.Errorf()`: Use to report serious (but non-fatal) errors.
- `log.Warnf()`: Use to report issues that do not affect normal use.
- `log.Infof()`: Use to display important messages that may concern
  non-developers.
- `log.Debugf()`: Use to display non-important messages, or debugging
  details.
- `log.Tracef()`: Use to display only low level debugging traces.

### Man pages

All `doc/*.scd` files are written in the [scdoc][scdoc] format and compiled to
man pages.

For consistent rendering, please respect the following guidelines:

- use `*:command*` to reference commands
- use `*-x*` for flags
- use `_<arg>_` argument placeholders that must be replaced by a suitable value
- use `_foobar.conf_` for file paths
- use `_true_`, `_0_`, `_constant_` for literal constants that must be typed as is
- use `[*-x*]` or `[_<arg>_]` for optional flags/arguments
- use `*-x*|*-y*` for mutually exclusive flags/arguments
- use `*[section]*` to reference sections in configuration files
- use `*foo*` or `*[section].foo*` to reference settings
- if an option does **not** have a default value, simply omit it
- use `*FOO*` and `*$FOO*` for environment variables
- only use `_"quoted values"_` when white space matters
- put command alternatives/aliases on separate lines with `++` suffixes
- use `*<c-x>*` or `*<enter>*` to reference key strokes
- use `# UPPER CASE` for man page sections
- use `*aerc-config*(5)` to reference other man pages
- use `aerc` (instead of `*aerc*` or `_aerc_`) to reference the aerc project or
  the aerc program

[git-send-email-tutorial]: https://git-send-email.io/
[git-trailers]: https://git.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/CommitMessageConventions
[godoc-comments]: https://go.dev/blog/godoc
[gofumpt-repo]: https://github.com/mvdan/gofumpt
[linux-coding-style]: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/v5.19-rc8/process/coding-style.html
[linux-review]: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/process/submitting-patches.html#using-reported-by-tested-by-reviewed-by-suggested-by-and-fixes
[linux-signoff]: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/process/submitting-patches.html#sign-your-work-the-developer-s-certificate-of-origin
[scdoc]: https://git.sr.ht/~sircmpwn/scdoc