We highly recommend using [gitmoji](https://gitmoji.dev) for expressive and visually appealing commit messages, as it provides an easy way of identifying the purpose or intention of a commit simply by looking at the emojis used.
This practice ensures that everyone remains updated on ongoing tasks, fostering transparency and encouraging collaboration.
## Fork-based workflow
If you want to contribute changes without write access to the repository, you can still do so by forking. This is a simple way for anyone to contribute by creating your own copy of the project where you can make changes freely.
1. First, you'll need to fork the repository.
2. Once you have a fork, clone it to your local machine.
3. Then, you can make changes just like you would if you were a member of the project.
4. After you've made your changes, you commit them locally and push these back to your fork on gitlab.
5. Finally, you can [create a merge request](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/merge_requests/creating_merge_requests.html#when-you-work-in-a-fork) from your fork's branch to upstream's branch.
> We encourage you to [allow commits from upstream members](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/merge_requests/allow_collaboration.html#allow-commits-from-upstream-members) so that they can [push to the fork as the upstream member](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/merge_requests/allow_collaboration.html#push-to-the-fork-as-the-upstream-member) in order for you to reach out for help.
The merge request notifies project maintainers that you've made changes and allows them to review your code and potentially merge it into the main project.
When your branch is merged, you may want to [update your fork](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/repository/forking_workflow.html#update-your-fork) to be synced with upstream.
## Repository membership
Access to our [gitlab repository][#repo_url] is essential for collaborative development and ensuring the integrity of our project. If you're interested in contributing to our codebase or becoming a member, please follow these guidelines:
1.**Contribution**: Get involved in the project by contributing code, reporting issues, or participating in discussions on our [discord](https://discord.gg/tdmV3MxCn5) or [gitlab repository][#repo_url].
2.**Familiarization**: Read about development guidelines, coding style, conventions. Understanding these aspects will help you make meaningful contributions to our codebase.
3.**Request**: Upon a single merge request merged in `develop`, anyone can request to become a member, reach out to other members for access.
4.**Review**: We will assess factors such as the quality of your contributions, adherence to our guidelines and alignment with our project's vision.
5.**Access**: Upon approval, a membership will be granted to our [gitlab repository][#repo_url], allowing you to directly contribute, review changes and collaborate with others.
While we welcome contributions from everyone, access to our repository is granted at our discretion.
We greatly value enthusiasm within our community and we can't wait to see what you'll bring to the table!
For consistency across the source code, we *must* follow the [Godot Engine Style Guide](https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/tutorials/best_practices/project_organization.html#style-guide) at any time:
>- Use **snake_case** for folder and file names (with the exception of C#
> scripts). This sidesteps case sensitivity issues that can crop up after
> exporting a project on Windows. C# scripts are an exception to this rule,
> as the convention is to name them after the class name which should be
> in PascalCase.
>- Use **PascalCase** for node names, as this matches built-in node casing.
>- In general, keep third-party resources in a top-level `addons/` folder, even
> if they aren't editor plugins. This makes it easier to track which files are
> third-party. There are some exceptions to this rule; for instance, if you use
> third-party game assets for a character, it makes more sense to include them
> within the same folder as the character scenes and scripts.
## Branch Naming Convention
When working on a new *feature*, prefix the branch name with `feat/`. For *bug fixes*, use the prefix `fix/`.
This naming convention helps to categorize branches and makes it easier to identify their purpose at a glance.
## Excluding local files without creating a _.gitignore_ file
If you don't want to add new rules in a `.gitignore` file to be shared with everyone, you can create *exclusion rules* that are not committed with the repository. You can use this technique for locally-generated files that you don't expect other users to generate, such as files created by your editor.
Use your favorite text editor to open the file called `.git/info/exclude` within the root of your git repository. Any rule you add here will not be checked in, and will only ignore files for your local repository.
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By following these guidelines, we aim to streamline our development process, maintain code quality, and ensure that our releases are stable and reliable.
