@pinkpixel/npm-helper-mcp/CONTRIBUTING.md

A Model Context Protocol server for NPM dependency management

# 🤝 Contributing to npm-helper-mcp

Thank you for considering contributing to npm-helper-mcp! This document provides guidelines and instructions for contributing to this project.

## 🌟 How to Contribute

### Reporting Bugs

1. Check if the bug has already been reported in the [Issues](https://github.com/pinkpixel-dev/npm-helper-mcp/issues) section.
2. If not, create a new issue with a descriptive title and clear description.
3. Include steps to reproduce the bug, expected behavior, and actual behavior.
4. If possible, include screenshots, error messages, or code samples.

### Suggesting Features

1. Check if the feature has already been suggested in the [Issues](https://github.com/pinkpixel-dev/npm-helper-mcp/issues) section.
2. If not, create a new issue with the label "enhancement" and a descriptive title.
3. Clearly describe the feature, its use cases, and how it would benefit the project.

### Pull Requests

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix: `git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name` or `git checkout -b fix/issue-you-are-fixing`.
3. Make your changes following the coding conventions below.
4. Test your changes thoroughly.
5. Commit your changes with descriptive commit messages.
6. Push your branch to your forked repository.
7. Create a pull request to the main repository's `main` branch.

## 🧰 Development Setup

```bash
# Clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/npm-helper-mcp.git
cd npm-helper-mcp

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

# Run tests
npm test
```

## 📋 Coding Conventions

### TypeScript Style Guide

- Use TypeScript for all new code.
- Follow established patterns in the codebase.
- Use consistent formatting with the existing codebase.
- Use descriptive variable and function names.
- Add JSDoc comments for public APIs.

### Testing

- Write tests for new features and bug fixes.
- Ensure all tests pass before submitting a pull request.

### Documentation

- Update documentation for any new features or changes to existing functionality.
- Document any breaking changes clearly.

## 🚀 Release Process

The project maintainers follow these steps for releases:

1. Update the version in `package.json` according to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).
2. Update the `CHANGELOG.md` with the new version and its changes.
3. Create a new release on GitHub with release notes.
4. Publish the new version to npm.

## 📄 License

By contributing to npm-helper-mcp, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the project's [MIT License](LICENSE).

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Thank you for contributing to npm-helper-mcp! Your efforts help make this tool better for everyone. ✨