Contributing

How to contribute to the PayLink project

Contributing to PayLink

Thank you for your interest in contributing to PayLink! This guide will help you get started with contributing to our open-source project.

Ways to Contribute

There are many ways to contribute to PayLink:

• Code contributions: Fix bugs, add features, improve performance
• Documentation: Improve existing docs, add examples, fix typos
• Bug reports: Submit detailed bug reports when you encounter issues
• Feature requests: Suggest new features or improvements
• Testing: Help test new features and ensure quality
• Community support: Help answer questions from other users

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher
• Git
• A GitHub account

Setting Up Your Development Environment

1. Fork the repository

   Visit https://github.com/jameskanyiri/paylink_sdk and click the “Fork” button in the top-right corner.

2. Clone your fork

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

3. Set up a virtual environment

   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
   

4. Install development dependencies

   pip install -e ".[dev]"
   

5. Set up pre-commit hooks

   pre-commit install
   

Development Workflow

1. Create a new branch

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
   

   Use a descriptive branch name, such as:

   • feature/airtel-integration
   • fix/connection-timeout
   • docs/improve-examples

2. Make your changes

   Write your code or documentation changes.

3. Run tests

   pytest
   

4. Commit your changes

   git add .
   git commit -m "Your detailed commit message"
   

   Follow our commit message format:

   • Use the present tense (“Add feature” not “Added feature”)
   • Use the imperative mood (“Move cursor to…” not “Moves cursor to…”)
   • Start with a capital letter
   • No dot (.) at the end
   • Reference issues and pull requests liberally

5. Push your changes

   git push origin feature/your-feature-name
   

6. Submit a pull request

   Go to your repository on GitHub and click “Compare & pull request”.

Code Style and Guidelines

PayLink follows these coding standards:

• PEP 8: We follow the PEP 8 style guide for Python code
• Type hints: Use type hints for function parameters and return values
• Docstrings: Document classes and functions using Google-style docstrings
• Tests: Include tests for new features and bug fixes

We use the following tools to enforce our coding standards:

• Black: For code formatting
• isort: For import sorting
• Flake8: For linting
• MyPy: For type checking

Documentation Guidelines

When contributing to documentation:

• Use clear, concise language
• Include code examples when applicable
• Follow Markdown best practices
• Update or add docstrings for any code changes
• Add new pages to the navigation in docs.json if needed

Testing Guidelines

When adding new features or fixing bugs:

• Add unit tests for new functionality
• Ensure all tests pass before submitting a pull request
• Include integration tests for complex features
• Document test cases clearly

Pull Request Process

1. Ensure your PR addresses a specific issue or clearly describes the improvement
2. Update documentation as necessary
3. Add tests for new features
4. Ensure CI checks pass
5. Request a review from maintainers
6. Address feedback and make requested changes
7. Once approved, a maintainer will merge your PR

Issue Reporting

When reporting issues:

1. Use the provided issue template
2. Include detailed steps to reproduce the issue
3. Describe the expected and actual behavior
4. Include relevant logs and error messages
5. Specify your environment (OS, Python version, etc.)

Code of Conduct

By participating in this project, you agree to abide by our Code of Conduct. Please report unacceptable behavior to [e-mail].

License

By contributing to PayLink, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the project’s MIT License.

Questions?

If you have any questions about contributing, please:

• Open an issue on GitHub
• Email us at [e-mail]
• Join our community discussions

Thank you for contributing to PayLink! Your efforts help make mobile payments more accessible for AI agents and developers around the world.