Skip to main content

Contributing to Rive

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Rive! This guide will help you get started.

Getting Started​

Prerequisites​

  • Rust (latest stable version)
  • Git
  • Basic knowledge of compiler design (recommended)

Setting Up Development Environment​

  1. Fork the repository on GitHub
  2. Clone your fork:
git clone https://github.com/your-username/rive.git
cd rive
  1. Build the project:
cargo build
  1. Run tests:
cargo test

Areas for Contribution​

Compiler Development​

  • Lexer: Tokenization improvements
  • Parser: Syntax tree construction
  • Semantic Analysis: Type checking, name resolution
  • Code Generation: LLVM IR generation
  • Error Messages: Better error reporting

Language Features​

  • Syntax: New language constructs
  • Standard Library: Core functionality
  • Type System: Advanced type features
  • Memory Management: Ownership and borrowing

Documentation​

  • Language Guide: Tutorial content
  • API Documentation: Function and type docs
  • Examples: Code samples and tutorials
  • Architecture: Compiler internals

Tooling​

  • IDE Support: Language server protocol
  • Debugger: Debugging tools
  • Profiler: Performance analysis
  • Package Manager: Dependency management

Development Workflow​

Making Changes​

  1. Create a feature branch:
git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
  1. Make your changes
  2. Write tests for new functionality
  3. Ensure all tests pass:
cargo test
  1. Format your code:
cargo fmt
  1. Run the linter:
cargo clippy

Submitting Changes​

  1. Commit your changes:
git add .
git commit -m "Add feature: brief description"
  1. Push to your fork:
git push origin feature/your-feature-name
  1. Create a Pull Request on GitHub

Code Style​

Rust Code​

Follow Rust's standard formatting and conventions:

// Use snake_case for variables and functions
let user_name = "Alice";

// Use PascalCase for types
struct UserProfile {
    name: String,
    email: String,
}

// Use SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE for constants
const MAX_RETRY_COUNT: u32 = 3;

Rive Code​

Follow Rive's coding conventions:

// Use snake_case for variables and functions
let user_name = "Alice";

fun calculate_total_price() -> Float {
    // ...
}

// Use PascalCase for types
struct UserProfile {
    name: String,
    email: String,
}

Testing​

Writing Tests​

Add tests for new functionality:

#[cfg(test)]
mod tests {
    use super::*;

    #[test]
    fn test_new_feature() {
        // Test implementation
        assert_eq!(expected, actual);
    }
}

Test Categories​

  • Unit Tests: Individual function testing
  • Integration Tests: Component interaction testing
  • Compiler Tests: End-to-end compilation testing
  • Performance Tests: Benchmarking

Documentation​

Code Documentation​

Document public APIs:

/// Calculates the area of a rectangle.
/// 
/// # Arguments
/// * `width` - The width of the rectangle
/// * `height` - The height of the rectangle
/// 
/// # Returns
/// The area as a floating-point number.
pub fn calculate_area(width: f64, height: f64) -> f64 {
    width * height
}

Language Documentation​

When adding new language features:

  1. Update the language reference
  2. Add examples to the tutorial
  3. Update the grammar specification
  4. Add error message documentation

Issue Reporting​

Bug Reports​

When reporting bugs, include:

  • Rive version
  • Operating system
  • Steps to reproduce
  • Expected behavior
  • Actual behavior
  • Error messages (if any)

Feature Requests​

When requesting features:

  • Clear description of the feature
  • Use cases and motivation
  • Proposed syntax (if applicable)
  • Implementation considerations

Community Guidelines​

Code of Conduct​

  • Be respectful and inclusive
  • Welcome newcomers
  • Provide constructive feedback
  • Help others learn and grow

Communication Channels​

  • GitHub Issues: Bug reports and feature requests
  • GitHub Discussions: General discussion and questions
  • Pull Requests: Code reviews and feedback

Recognition​

Contributors are recognized in:

  • CONTRIBUTORS.md: List of all contributors
  • Release Notes: Major contributions highlighted
  • Documentation: Credit for significant contributions

Getting Help​

If you need help:

  1. Check existing issues and discussions
  2. Ask questions in GitHub Discussions
  3. Join the community chat (if available)
  4. Reach out to maintainers

Thank you for contributing to Rive! 🚀