# Contributing to OpenRGB

The OpenRGB project welcomes contributions from the community.  The project would not support the number of devices it does today without the amazing contributions from community developers.  If you want to add a new device, fix a bug, or add a feature, feel free to open a merge request on the OpenRGB GitLab (https://gitlab.com/CalcProgrammer1/OpenRGB).

## Creating a Merge Request

To create a merge request, log into GitLab and fork the OpenRGB project.  Push your changes to your fork and then use the Create Merge Request option.  Before opening a merge request, please review the following best practices to help your merge request get merged without excessive delay.

* Please keep the scope of each merge request limited to one functional area.  If you wish to add a new device controller, for instance, don't also do code cleanup in another controller as part of the same merge request.
* Explain what your merge request is changing, why you feel the change is necessary, and add any additional information you feel is needed to best understand your change in the merge request description.
* Mark your merge request as a draft (start title with "Draft:") until it has been tested and verified working.
* Follow the Style Guidelines below when making your code changes.
* Avoid using `git merge` when updating your fork.  The OpenRGB project uses a linear git history, meaning all changes are rebased onto the tip of master.  By using `git rebase` to update your fork, you will make it easier to accept merge requests.

### Pipelines, Shared Runners and Quotas

Since mid 2022 Gitlab has limited the usage of shared runners to all projects and whilst quite geneorous quotas are allowed
 for open source projects it is possible to exhaust them. With that in mind not all jobs within the pipeline build are
 triggered to automatically run with every push to your branch with the exception of the Windows 64bit and Linux Appimage 64bit
 jobs. If you need to test or share another build you can still start it manually from your pipeline queue.
 Once a merge request is created all architectures and platforms will be compiled to ensure that they are ready to merge.

Please refer to the following link for [further information relating to minutes and quotas](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/pipelines/cicd_minutes.html).

## Style Guidelines

OpenRGB is written in C++, uses the Qt framework for UI, and uses the QMake build system.  While OpenRGB does use C++, I am primarily a C programmer and prefer doing things "C Style" vs. C++ style.  C++'s object oriented programming features fit the needs of a program such as OpenRGB where there are many implementations of a single interface so I chose to write it in C++ over C.  Still, however, I prefer using C-style code where possible.  When making changes to existing code files, try to follow the existing style.  Merge requests that go out of their way to restyle code will not be accepted and will be sent back for rework.

### Functional Style

* Limit use of C++ std library data types
    * For fixed-length containers, use C arrays
    * For list constants, use const C arrays
    * For fixed-length strings, use C char buffers ("C strings"), though using std::string is acceptable if the value will be placed in a std::string
    * For basic types, prefer using the non-typedef'd basic types (char, short, int, etc) over typedef'd (uint8_t, uint16_t, uint32_t, etc)
        * Unless defined in an OpenRGB API or the file is implementing an existing API using these types (such as i2c_smbus)
    * For hard-coded values, use `#define`s over const variables unless you need a pointer to the value
    * For variable-length containers, use std::vector
    * For variable-length strings, use std::string
    * `struct` should not include any functions, only variables
    * `class` should only be used for objects containing functions
    * Other std types may be used sparingly if necessary
* Only use Qt libraries, types, and functionality in user interface files
    * Anything under the qt/ folder basically
    * Do not use QDebug, use our LogManager instead.  If you use QDebug during development, please remove it before submitting your merge request
* Use C-style indexed for loops when iterating through an array or vector
* Use C-style casts unless necessary
* Avoid the `auto` type.  It makes code more difficult to read
* Do not use `printf` or `cout` for debug messages, use LogManager instead
* Don't define namespaces unless necessary

### Non-functional Style

* Set your editor's tab settings to insert spaces, using 4 spaces per tab stop
* Always put opening and closing braces `{`, `}` on their own lines
* Indent code inside the braces, do not indent the braces themselves
* Capitalize hexadecimal literals (`0xFF` not `0xff`) except in the udev rules file (which must be lowercase to work)
* No space between keyword and open parenthesis (`if(TRUE)` not `if (TRUE)`).  There are some instances of this that haven't been cleaned up in the code.
* Generally, `snake_case` is used for variable names and `CamelCase` is used for function and class names
* Add a header comment to new files with the filename, description, original author, and date (this is missing on most Detect files)
* Line up `=` when doing a lot of assignments together
* Use this comment box style when adding comments:

```
/*--------------------------------*\
| This is a comment                |
\*_-------------------------------*/
```
