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Contributing Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in contributing to OpenATS.

OpenATS is an open-source Applicant Tracking System built and maintained by the community. Whether you're fixing bugs, improving documentation, designing new features, or suggesting ideas, your contributions are welcome.

Ways to Contribute​

You can contribute to OpenATS in several ways:

  • Report bugs
  • Suggest new features
  • Improve documentation
  • Submit code improvements
  • Fix existing issues
  • Review pull requests
  • Share feedback and ideas

Before You Start​

Before creating a new issue or pull request:

  1. Search existing issues and discussions.
  2. Check if the topic has already been reported.
  3. Provide as much context as possible.
  4. Be respectful and constructive.

Reporting Bugs​

If you discover a bug, please create a GitHub Issue.

When reporting a bug, include:

  • A clear description of the issue
  • Steps to reproduce the problem
  • Expected behavior
  • Actual behavior
  • Screenshots or logs if available
  • Environment details

Requesting Features​

Feature requests are welcome.

When suggesting a feature:

  • Clearly describe the problem
  • Explain the proposed solution
  • Describe the expected benefit
  • Include mockups or examples when possible

Development Workflow​

  1. Fork the repository.
  2. Clone your fork locally.
  3. Create a new branch.
git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
  1. Make your changes.
  2. Test your changes.
  3. Commit your work.
git commit -m "feat: add candidate filtering"
  1. Push your branch.
git push origin feature/your-feature-name
  1. Open a Pull Request.

Pull Request Guidelines​

When submitting a Pull Request:

  • Keep changes focused on a single feature or fix
  • Follow existing coding conventions
  • Write meaningful commit messages
  • Update documentation when necessary
  • Ensure the application builds successfully

Code Style​

To maintain consistency across the project:

  • Follow existing project patterns
  • Use descriptive variable and function names
  • Keep code readable and maintainable
  • Avoid unnecessary complexity

Community Guidelines​

We aim to maintain a welcoming and collaborative community.

Please:

  • Be respectful
  • Provide constructive feedback
  • Help other contributors
  • Encourage open discussion

Need Help?​

If you have questions, need guidance, or want feedback on an idea, start a GitHub Discussion or open an issue.

We appreciate every contribution that helps improve OpenATS.