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Contributing

Thank you for your interest in contributing to echidna!

Development Setup​

Prerequisites​

  • Rust 1.85+ (install via rustup, edition 2024)
  • UCSF ChimeraX (optional, for integration testing)

Getting Started​

git clone https://github.com/N283T/echidna.git
cd echidna
cargo build
cargo test

Code Style​

Formatting​

cargo fmt

Linting​

cargo clippy -- -D warnings

Commit Messages​

Use clear, descriptive commit messages in imperative mood:

  • Add shell completion support
  • Fix config file parsing for Windows paths
  • Update clap to version 4.5

Testing​

Running Tests​

# Run all tests
cargo test

# Run specific test
cargo test test_name

# Run tests with output
cargo test -- --nocapture

Writing Tests​

  • Unit tests go in the same file as the code (#[cfg(test)] module)
  • Integration tests go in the tests/ directory
  • Use descriptive test names that explain what is being tested

Pull Request Process​

  1. Fork the repository and create a feature branch
  2. Make your changes with appropriate tests
  3. Ensure all tests pass: cargo test
  4. Ensure code is formatted: cargo fmt --check
  5. Ensure clippy passes: cargo clippy -- -D warnings
  6. Update CHANGELOG.md if applicable (under [Unreleased])
  7. Submit a pull request with a clear description

Reporting Issues​

When reporting issues, please include:

  • echi version (echi --version)
  • Operating system and version
  • ChimeraX version (if relevant)
  • Steps to reproduce the issue
  • Expected vs actual behavior

License​

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the MIT License.