Contributing to React Kickstart

Welcome to React Kickstart! We're excited that you're interested in contributing to making React development faster and better for everyone.

🎯 Ways to Contribute

React Kickstart welcomes all types of contributions:

🚀 Quick Start for Contributors

# Fork the repository on GitHub, then clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/react-kickstart.git
cd react-kickstart

# Install all dependencies
npm install
 
# Set up pre-commit hooks
npm run prepare

# Run the CLI locally
node bin/react-kickstart.js test-app --yes
 
# Run tests
npm test
 
# Run linting
npm run lint

🏗️ Project Structure for Contributors

Understanding the codebase structure will help you contribute more effectively:

react-kickstart/
├── src/
│   ├── index.js                # Main orchestrator
│   ├── prompts/                # Interactive CLI prompts
│   ├── generators/             # Framework-specific generators
│   ├── builders/               # Configuration builders
│   ├── features/               # Feature integration modules
│   ├── templates/              # Code generation templates
│   ├── utils/                  # Utility functions
│   └── errors/                 # Error handling
├── qa-automation/              # Quality assurance system
├── __tests__/                  # Unit tests
└── bin/react-kickstart.js      # CLI entry point

Key Areas for Contributions:

• New Frameworks: Add support in src/generators/frameworks/
• New Features: Extend src/features/ modules
• CLI Improvements: Enhance src/prompts/ and src/index.js
• Quality Assurance: Improve qa-automation/ system
• Documentation: Update guides and examples

🎯 Contribution Guidelines

Code Quality Standards

• ESLint & Prettier: Code must pass linting and formatting checks
• Test Coverage: New features require comprehensive tests
• QA Validation: Changes must pass the QA automation suite
• Documentation: Update relevant documentation for changes
• Conventional Commits: Use conventional commit messages

Development Workflow

1. Discussion First: For major changes, open an issue or discussion first
2. Branch Strategy: Create feature branches from main
3. Small PRs: Keep pull requests focused and reasonably sized
4. Test Locally: Always test your changes locally before submitting
5. CI/CD: Ensure all automated checks pass

Community Standards

• Be Respectful: Treat all community members with respect and kindness
• Be Constructive: Provide helpful feedback and suggestions
• Be Patient: Maintainers are volunteers; please be patient with reviews
• Be Collaborative: Work together to find the best solutions

🧪 Testing Your Contributions

React Kickstart has comprehensive testing requirements:

Unit Tests

# Run unit tests
npm test
 
# Run with coverage
npm run test:coverage

QA Automation

# Run critical tests (fast)
npm run qa:critical
 
# Run comprehensive tests
npm run qa:standard
 
# Generate test matrix
node qa-automation/test-matrix-generator.js

Manual Testing

# Test your changes manually
node bin/react-kickstart.js test-project --yes
 
# Test different combinations
node bin/react-kickstart.js test-vite --framework vite --typescript --styling tailwind
node bin/react-kickstart.js test-nextjs --framework nextjs --typescript --state redux

📋 Contribution Types

🐛 Bug Fixes

Perfect for beginners! Bug fixes are a great way to start contributing:

• Look for issues labeled good first issue or bug
• Reproduce the bug locally
• Write a test that demonstrates the bug
• Fix the bug and ensure the test passes
• Submit a PR with a clear description

✨ New Features

Adding new features requires more planning:

• Discuss First: Open an issue or discussion to validate the feature
• Design Document: For complex features, create a design document
• Implementation: Follow existing patterns and conventions
• Testing: Add comprehensive tests and QA coverage
• Documentation: Update relevant documentation

🏗️ Framework Support

Adding new framework support is a significant contribution:

• Follow the Adding a New Framework guide
• Implement all required integration points
• Add comprehensive QA coverage
• Update documentation and examples
• Consider long-term maintenance commitment

📚 Documentation

Documentation improvements are always welcome:

• Fix typos and grammatical errors
• Add missing examples or clarifications
• Create new guides or tutorials
• Improve existing documentation structure
• Add code comments for complex logic

🤝 Getting Help

Where to Ask Questions

• GitHub Discussions: General questions, feature ideas, and community chat
• GitHub Issues: Bug reports and specific problems
• Code Reviews: Ask questions directly in pull request comments
• Documentation: Check existing documentation first

Maintainer Response Times

• Issues: We aim to respond within 48 hours
• Pull Requests: Initial review within 1 week
• Discussions: Community-driven, responses vary
• Critical Bugs: Prioritized for faster response

Getting Unstuck

If you're stuck on a contribution:

1. Check Documentation: Review relevant guides and examples
2. Search Issues: Look for similar problems or solutions
3. Ask for Help: Don't hesitate to ask questions in discussions
4. Start Small: Begin with smaller contributions to learn the codebase
5. Pair Programming: Reach out if you'd like to pair program on a feature

🏆 Recognition

We value all contributions to React Kickstart:

Contributors Wall

All contributors are recognized in:

• GitHub contributors graph
• README contributors section
• Release notes for significant contributions
• Special recognition for major features

Contribution Levels

• First-time Contributors: Welcome package and guidance
• Regular Contributors: Direct collaboration on features
• Core Contributors: Maintainer privileges and decision-making input
• Framework Champions: Recognition for adding new framework support

📚 Next Steps

Ready to contribute? Here's where to go next:

For New Contributors:

• Development Workflow → - Day-to-day development process and setup guide

For Experienced Contributors:

• QA Overview → - Testing and quality assurance guidelines
• QA Automation → - Comprehensive testing requirements

For Framework Contributors:

• Adding a Framework → - Complete framework integration guide
• Extension Overview → - Understanding the extension system