Skip to main content

Contributing

PatchBase is open source and we welcome contributions. This guide covers the basics of getting your changes merged.

Before you start​

If you're planning a significant change (new feature, refactoring, breaking change), please open an issue first to discuss it. This avoids wasted work if the change doesn't fit the project's direction.

For bug fixes and small improvements, feel free to open a pull request directly.

Development workflow​

  1. Fork the repository and clone your fork
  2. Create a branch for your change: 
    git checkout -b fix-some-bug
  3. Make your changes following the code conventions below
  4. Run the linter: 
    golangci-lint run
  5. Run tests: 
    bazel test //...
  6. Commit and push your branch
  7. Open a pull request on the patchbase/patchbase repository

Code conventions​

  • Error handling: wrap errors with fmt.Errorf("...: %w", err)
  • Filesystem abstraction: use afero.Fs when an abstraction is needed — don't add a local fs wrapper package
  • Unused parameters: name them _ in the signature, not _ = param in the body
  • Testing: use testify/assert and testify/require, not t.Fatalf
  • Build files: after changing Go imports, run bazel run //:gazelle to regenerate BUILD.bazel
  • New tests: if Gazelle adds a go_test target, annotate it with size = "small"
  • No trailing blank lines at the end of files

Pull request review​

All PRs are reviewed for correctness, security, and code quality. Here's what reviewers look for:

  • Does the change solve the problem it claims to?
  • Are there security implications (especially around auth, SSH, or credentials)?
  • Does it follow the existing code style and conventions?
  • Are there tests for new functionality?
  • Does it handle errors properly?

Reporting issues​

If you find a bug, please open an issue with:

  1. A clear title and description
  2. Steps to reproduce
  3. Expected vs. actual behavior
  4. Relevant logs or error messages
  5. Your OS, PatchBase version, and host setup

License​

PatchBase is licensed under the Apache License 2.0. By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the same license.