Contributing to PipeGen

We welcome contributions to PipeGen! This guide will help you get started with contributing to the project.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Before contributing, ensure you have the following installed:

• Go 1.21+ - Required for building and testing PipeGen
• Docker & Docker Compose - For running the local development stack
• Git - For version control

Development Setup

1. Fork and Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/pipegen.git
   cd pipegen

2. Install Dependencies

   go mod download

3. Build the Project

   make build
   # Or manually:
   go build -o bin/pipegen ./main.go

4. Run Tests

   make test
   # Or manually:
   go test ./...

Development Workflow

1. Create a Feature Branch

Always create a new branch for your changes:

git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
# or
git checkout -b fix/issue-description

2. Make Your Changes

• Follow the existing code style and conventions
• Add tests for new functionality
• Update documentation as needed
• Ensure all tests pass

3. Test Your Changes

# Run unit tests
go test ./...

# Run integration tests (if applicable)
make test-integration

# Test the CLI manually
./bin/pipegen --help

4. Submit a Pull Request

1. Push your changes to your fork
2. Create a pull request against the main branch
3. Provide a clear description of your changes
4. Reference any related issues

Code Style Guidelines

Go Code Standards

• Follow standard Go conventions (gofmt, golint)
• Use meaningful variable and function names
• Add comments for public functions and complex logic
• Keep functions small and focused
• Use proper error handling

Project Structure

pipegen/
├── cmd/              # CLI commands
├── internal/         # Internal packages
│   ├── dashboard/    # Web dashboard components
│   ├── docker/       # Docker deployment logic
│   ├── generator/    # Pipeline generation
│   ├── llm/          # AI/LLM integration
│   ├── pipeline/     # Core pipeline logic
│   ├── templates/    # Template management
│   └── types/        # Type definitions
├── docs-site/        # Documentation source
├── web/              # Web assets
└── main.go          # Entry point

Testing

Unit Tests

• Write unit tests for all new functions
• Use table-driven tests where appropriate
• Mock external dependencies
• Aim for good test coverage

Example test structure:

func TestYourFunction(t *testing.T) {
    tests := []struct {
        name     string
        input    string
        expected string
        wantErr  bool
    }{
        // Test cases
    }
    
    for _, tt := range tests {
        t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
            // Test implementation
        })
    }
}

Integration Tests

• Test end-to-end functionality
• Use Docker containers for external dependencies
• Clean up resources after tests

Documentation

Code Documentation

• Add GoDoc comments for public APIs
• Include examples in documentation
• Document complex algorithms and business logic

User Documentation

Documentation is located in docs-site/ and built with VitePress:

cd docs-site
npm install
npm run dev    # Start development server
npm run build  # Build for production

Adding New Documentation

1. Create or edit Markdown files in docs-site/
2. Update navigation in docs-site/.vitepress/config.js if needed
3. Test locally with npm run dev
4. Include documentation updates in your pull request

Issue Reporting

Bug Reports

When reporting bugs, please include:

• PipeGen version (pipegen version)
• Operating system and version
• Go version
• Steps to reproduce the issue
• Expected vs actual behavior
• Relevant logs or error messages

Feature Requests

For feature requests:

• Describe the problem you're trying to solve
• Explain your proposed solution
• Consider alternative approaches
• Provide use cases and examples

Release Process

Releases are managed by maintainers:

1. Version bumping follows semantic versioning
2. Releases are tagged and published automatically
3. Binaries are built for multiple platforms
4. Documentation is updated automatically

Community Guidelines

Code of Conduct

• Be respectful and inclusive
• Welcome newcomers and help them learn
• Focus on constructive feedback
• Maintain a professional environment

Communication

• GitHub Issues - Bug reports, feature requests
• GitHub Discussions - Questions, ideas, general discussion
• Pull Requests - Code contributions and reviews

Getting Help

If you need help with contributing:

1. Check existing documentation
2. Search existing issues
3. Create a new issue with the question label
4. Join discussions in GitHub Discussions

Maintainer Information

Code Review Process

• All changes require at least one approval
• Maintainers will review pull requests promptly
• Feedback should be addressed before merging
• Keep pull requests focused and atomic

Release Schedule

• No fixed schedule - releases based on feature completion
• Critical bug fixes may trigger immediate releases
• Feature releases include comprehensive testing

Development Tips

Local Testing with Real Data

# Create a test pipeline
pipegen init test-pipeline

# Deploy local stack
pipegen deploy

# Run with monitoring
pipegen run --message-rate 10 --duration 1m --dashboard

Debugging

• Use --verbose flag for detailed logging
• Check Docker logs: docker-compose logs -f
• Monitor dashboard at http://localhost:8080

Performance Testing

# Test with high throughput
pipegen run --message-rate 1000 --duration 5m --generate-report

# Test with traffic patterns
pipegen run --traffic-pattern "1m-2m:200%,3m-4m:500%" --duration 5m

Thank You!

Thank you for contributing to PipeGen! Your contributions help make streaming data pipelines more accessible and powerful for everyone.

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For questions about contributing, please open an issue or start a discussion in the PipeGen repository.