Contributing to Dalmatian

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

If this is your first time, follow SETUP.md first to create your Discord bot and run it locally.

How to Contribute

1. Fork the repository or create a new branch if you have write access
2. Create a new branch from main with a descriptive name:

   git checkout -b your-feature-name
   # or
   git checkout -b bug-description
   

3. Make your changes following the code style and conventions
4. Test your changes locally by running the bot
5. Commit using conventional commits (see below)
6. Push to your fork or branch
7. Open a Pull Request with a clear description of your changes

Conventional Commits

This project follows Conventional Commits.

Examples:

• feat: add course search by instructor
• fix: resolve dining hall location formatting issue
• docs: update README installation steps
• refactor: simplify embed pagination logic
• chore: update dependencies to latest versions
• style: format code with biome

Database Setup

The bot uses PostgreSQL for storing polls and reaction redirect configurations. You don’t need to install or start it yourself. devenv up runs a local PostgreSQL server, and the bot applies any pending migrations when it starts.

If you change the schema in src/db/, generate a new migration with:

deno run db:generate

To inspect the database, run deno run db:studio inside devenv shell while devenv up is running.

To completely reset the database, stop devenv up, delete .devenv/state/postgres, and start devenv up again.

Before Submitting

Before you commit and open a pull request, make sure to:

• Run deno run lint and fix any errors/warnings
• Run deno run format to format your code
• Run deno run test to ensure all tests pass
• Test your changes on your Discord bot by running devenv up
• Ensure your commits follow the conventional commit format
• Update documentation if you added/changed features

Pull Request Guidelines

• Keep PRs focused - One feature or fix per pull request
• Write clear descriptions - Explain what changed and why
• Reference related issues - Use “Fixes #123” or “Closes #456” if applicable
• Be responsive - Address review feedback promptly

Project Priorities & Planning

To understand current priorities, roadmap, and ongoing work, please check the issues board.

Need Help?

If you have questions or need help:

• Open an issue
• Check existing issues and pull requests for similar questions

Remember to follow conventional committing guidelines while contributing!