Contributing

Thank you for your interest in contributing to tikz-feyn! This document provides guidelines for contributing to the project.

Ways to Contribute

There are many ways to contribute to tikz-feyn:

Report bugs - If you find a bug, please report it on the issue tracker
Suggest features - We welcome feature requests and ideas for improvement
Improve documentation - Help make the documentation clearer and more comprehensive
Submit code - Fix bugs or implement new features
Share examples - Contribute example diagrams to help other users

Getting Started

Setting Up Development Environment

Fork the repository on GitHub

Clone your fork:

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/tikz-feyn.git
cd tikz-feyn

Create a feature branch:
```
git checkout -b feature/my-new-feature
```

Building Documentation Locally

To build the examples:

pdflatex tikz-feyn.tex

To build the test suite:

pdflatex test-suite.tex

To build the Sphinx documentation:

cd docs
pip install -r requirements.txt
make html

Reporting Bugs

Before Reporting

Check the issue tracker to see if the bug has already been reported
Verify the bug exists in the latest version
Try to create a minimal example that reproduces the bug

Bug Report Template

When reporting a bug, please include:

Description: Clear description of the bug
Minimal Example: Minimal LaTeX code that reproduces the issue
Expected Behavior: What you expected to happen
Actual Behavior: What actually happened
Environment: - LaTeX distribution and version (e.g., TeXLive 2023) - tikz-feyn version - Operating system

Example:

**Bug**: Vertex positioning incorrect with negative offsets

**Minimal Example**:
```latex
\\begin{tfeyn}
  \\tfcol(0, -1cm){a, b}
  \\tfcol{c, d}
  \\tf[f]{a, c}
\\end{tfeyn}
```

**Expected**: Column shifted down by 1cm
**Actual**: Column shifted up instead

**Environment**:
- TeXLive 2023
- tikz-feyn 1.0
- Ubuntu 22.04

Suggesting Features

Feature requests are welcome! Please:

Check if the feature has already been requested
Provide a clear use case for the feature
Include example code showing how you’d like it to work
Consider whether it could be implemented using existing TikZ features

Submitting Pull Requests

Code Guidelines

Follow the existing code style
Add comments explaining complex logic
Update documentation for new features
Include examples demonstrating new features

Testing Requirements

Before submitting a pull request:

Ensure all examples compile without errors:

pdflatex tikz-feyn.tex
pdflatex test-suite.tex

Add tests to test-suite.tex for new features
Verify backward compatibility with existing diagrams
Test with both pdfLaTeX and XeLaTeX if possible

Pull Request Process

Create a feature branch from develop
Make your changes
Test thoroughly
Commit with clear, descriptive messages
Push to your fork
Open a pull request against the develop branch

Pull Request Template

Your pull request should include:

Description: What does this PR do?
Motivation: Why is this change needed?
Testing: How was this tested?
Documentation: Are docs updated?
Examples: Include example usage if applicable

Documentation Contributions

Documentation improvements are always welcome! This includes:

Fixing typos and grammar
Clarifying confusing sections
Adding examples
Improving organization
Translating documentation

To contribute documentation:

Edit the relevant .rst files in docs/source/

Build locally to verify formatting:

cd docs
make html
# Open docs/build/html/index.html in browser

Submit a pull request

Code Style

LaTeX Package Code

Use meaningful macro names
Add comments for non-obvious code
Use consistent indentation (2 spaces)
Group related functionality
Include error checking where appropriate

Documentation

Use proper reStructuredText formatting
Include code examples for all features
Provide both simple and advanced examples
Cross-reference related sections
Use consistent terminology

Commit Messages

Write clear commit messages:

Short summary (50 chars or less)

More detailed explanation if needed. Wrap at 72 characters.
Explain what and why, not how.

- Bullet points are okay
- Use present tense ("Add feature" not "Added feature")
- Reference issues: "Fixes #123"

Examples:

Good: Add support for curved propagators
Good: Fix vertex positioning with negative offsets (fixes #42)
Bad: fixed stuff
Bad: WIP

Branching Model

main/master - Stable releases only
develop - Main development branch
feature/* - New features
fix/* - Bug fixes
docs/* - Documentation updates

Release Process

Releases are managed by maintainers:

Update version in tikz-feyn.sty
Update CHANGES.md
Merge to main/master
Tag release: git tag v1.0
Push tag: git push origin v1.0
GitHub Actions automatically creates release

Community Guidelines

Be respectful and constructive
Welcome newcomers
Provide helpful feedback on pull requests
Focus on the issue, not the person
Assume good intentions

License

By contributing to tikz-feyn, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the same license as the project (see LICENSE.txt).

Getting Help

If you need help contributing:

Open an issue with your question
Tag it with the question label
Be specific about what you’re trying to do

Thank You!

Every contribution, no matter how small, is appreciated and helps make tikz-feyn better for everyone.