Contributing#

We welcome contributions to Ex-Fuzzy! This guide will help you get started with contributing code, documentation, or examples.

Ways to Contribute#

There are many ways to contribute to Ex-Fuzzy:

🐛 Report Bugs

Found a bug? Help us fix it by reporting detailed information.

#reporting-bugs
💡 Suggest Features

Have an idea for a new feature? We’d love to hear about it!

#suggesting-features
📝 Improve Documentation

Help make our documentation clearer and more comprehensive.

#documentation
💻 Contribute Code

Fix bugs, implement features, or optimize performance.

#code-contributions

Getting Started#

Development Setup#

  1. Fork the repository on GitHub

  2. Clone your fork locally:

    git clone https://github.com/fuminides/ex-fuzzy.git
cd ex-fuzzy

  3. Create a virtual environment:

    python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

  4. Install in development mode:

    pip install -e ".[dev,test,docs]"

  5. Install pre-commit hooks:

    pre-commit install

Code Style and Standards#

We follow established Python coding standards:

  • PEP 8 for code style

  • Type hints for all public functions

  • Comprehensive docstrings in NumPy format

  • Unit tests for all new functionality

Code Formatting#

We use automated tools to maintain code quality:

# Format code with black
black ex_fuzzy/

# Sort imports with isort
isort ex_fuzzy/

# Lint with flake8
flake8 ex_fuzzy/

# Type checking with mypy
mypy ex_fuzzy/

Testing#

Run the test suite before submitting changes:

# Run all tests
pytest

# Run with coverage
pytest --cov=ex_fuzzy --cov-report=html

# Run specific test file
pytest tests/test_fuzzy_sets.py

Contribution Workflow#

  1. Create a new branch for your feature:

    git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

  2. Make your changes following our coding standards

  3. Add tests for any new functionality

  4. Update documentation if needed

  5. Run the test suite to ensure everything works

  6. Commit your changes with a clear message:

    git commit -m "Add feature: brief description of what you added"

  7. Push to your fork:

    git push origin feature/your-feature-name

  8. Create a Pull Request on GitHub

Pull Request Guidelines#

When submitting a pull request:

Title and Description

  • Use a clear, descriptive title

  • Explain what your changes do and why

  • Reference any related issues

Code Quality

  • Ensure all tests pass

  • Follow our coding standards

  • Include appropriate documentation

Review Process

  • Be responsive to feedback

  • Make requested changes promptly

  • Update your branch if needed

Reporting Bugs#

Before reporting a bug:

  1. Check existing issues to avoid duplicates

  2. Update to the latest version to see if it’s already fixed

  3. Create a minimal example that reproduces the bug

When reporting, include:

  • Ex-Fuzzy version

  • Python version and operating system

  • Complete error traceback

  • Minimal code example

  • Expected vs actual behavior

Use our bug report template:

**Bug Description**
A clear description of what the bug is.

**To Reproduce**
```python
# Minimal code example
```

**Expected Behavior**
What you expected to happen.

**Environment**
- Ex-Fuzzy version:
- Python version:
- Operating System:

**Additional Context**
Any other context about the problem.

Suggesting Features#

We welcome feature suggestions! Before suggesting:

  1. Check existing issues and discussions

  2. Consider the scope - does it fit Ex-Fuzzy’s goals?

  3. Think about implementation - is it feasible?

When suggesting a feature:

  • Describe the use case clearly

  • Explain why it would be valuable

  • Provide examples if possible

  • Consider backward compatibility

Documentation Contributions#

Documentation is crucial for user adoption. You can help by:

Improving Existing Docs

  • Fix typos and grammar

  • Clarify confusing sections

  • Add missing information

  • Update outdated content

Adding New Content

  • Write tutorials and guides

  • Create examples and case studies

  • Document best practices

  • Add API documentation

Building Documentation

To build the documentation locally:

cd docs/
make html
# Open docs/_build/html/index.html

Code Contributions#

Areas where we especially welcome contributions:

Bug Fixes

  • Fix reported issues

  • Improve error handling

  • Address edge cases

Performance Improvements

  • Optimize algorithms

  • Reduce memory usage

  • Parallelize computations

New Features

  • Additional fuzzy set types

  • New optimization algorithms

  • Enhanced visualizations

  • Integration with other libraries

Testing

  • Increase test coverage

  • Add integration tests

  • Improve test performance

Code Review Process#

All submissions go through code review:

  1. Automated checks run first (tests, linting, type checking)

  2. Manual review by maintainers

  3. Discussion and feedback

  4. Approval and merge

What reviewers look for:

  • Code correctness and efficiency

  • Test coverage and quality

  • Documentation completeness

  • Backward compatibility

  • Code style compliance

Release Process#

Ex-Fuzzy follows semantic versioning:

  • Major (X.0.0): Breaking changes

  • Minor (X.Y.0): New features, backward compatible

  • Patch (X.Y.Z): Bug fixes, backward compatible

Release schedule:

  • Minor releases: Every 3-4 months

  • Patch releases: As needed for critical bugs

  • Major releases: Annually or when significant changes accumulate

Recognition#

Contributors are recognized in several ways:

  • CONTRIBUTORS.md file listing all contributors

  • Release notes mentioning significant contributions

  • GitHub releases crediting contributors

  • Social media acknowledgments for major contributions

Community Guidelines#

We are committed to providing a welcoming environment:

Be Respectful

  • Treat everyone with respect

  • Welcome newcomers

  • Be patient with questions

Be Constructive

  • Provide helpful feedback

  • Focus on the code, not the person

  • Suggest improvements

Be Collaborative

  • Work together toward common goals

  • Share knowledge and resources

  • Help others learn and grow

Getting Help#

If you need help contributing:

  • GitHub Discussions: Ask questions and get help

  • Discord/Slack: Real-time chat with contributors

  • Documentation: Read our detailed guides

  • Mentorship: We can pair new contributors with experienced ones

Thank You!#

Thank you for considering contributing to Ex-Fuzzy! Every contribution, no matter how small, helps make the library better for everyone.

Ready to contribute? Check out our good first issues to get started!