Published

January 24, 2025

Modified

August 28, 2025

Contributing to VegVault

VegVault is envisioned as a continuously evolving database that will undergo regular updates for further improvement. We greatly appreciate community contributions and thank you for considering participating in the VegVault project.

To maintain the highest quality of data and code, we adhere to strict guidelines. Please read through this document to understand our contribution process.

Ways to Contribute

Report Issues or Request Features

Found a bug or have an idea for enhancement? Visit our Contact & Support page for detailed reporting guidelines.

Data Contributions

We continuously seek new datasets to include in future VegVault versions. If you know of valuable data sources that could enhance VegVault, we’d love to hear from you!

How to contribute data:

  1. Review our Database Structure to understand current data types
  2. Check our Database Content to see what’s already included
  3. Contact us via GitHub Discussions with details about your proposed dataset
  4. Our team will evaluate the data for compatibility and integration feasibility

Code Contributions

We welcome contributions to improve VegVault’s codebase, documentation, and functionality.

Prerequisites

Git & GitHub Proficiency:

Coding Standards: We maintain consistency through our established Code Conventions. Please review and follow these guidelines for all contributions.

Contribution Workflow

1. Fork and Setup - Fork the repository to your GitHub account - Check out the appropriate branch (usually the next version branch if available) - Set up your development environment

2. Development Guidelines - Single purpose: Each pull request should accomplish one clear, specific task - Descriptive naming: Use descriptive branch names (e.g., fix-database-connection, add-trait-validation) - Small commits: Each commit should represent one logical change with a clear message - Testing: Ensure your code passes all existing tests before committing

3. Submit Pull Request When ready to contribute your changes:

  1. Prepare your PR:
    • Write clear commit messages following our guidelines
    • Ensure all tests pass
    • Update documentation if necessary
  2. Create the PR:
  3. Review process:
    • Respond to reviewer feedback promptly
    • Make requested changes and mark conversations as resolved
    • Be patient during the review process

4. Merge Conflicts If you encounter merge conflicts, consult this git tutorial for resolution strategies.

Back to top