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Contributing Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in contributing to OnlyPilani. This project is a collective effort to build a high-quality academic repository for BITSians. Whether you are reporting a bug, proposing new features, or adding course notes, your input is valued.

General Process

  1. Identify an Issue: All pull requests should ideally address an existing issue or a requested course update.
  2. Fork and Clone: Create a personal copy of the repository and clone it to your local environment.
  3. Work in Branches: Always create a new branch for your specific changes to keep the main history clean.
  4. Markdown Only: All content must be in Markdown. Avoid uploading Word docs or messy text files.
  5. Review: A moderator will review your Pull Request (PR). Be prepared to make requested adjustments.

Technical Workflow: Adding New Notes

Follow these steps to successfully merge new material into the archive:

1. Environment Setup

First, ensure you have Git installed. Fork the repository on GitHub and run the following in your terminal:

git clone <your_forked_repository_url>
cd OnlyPilani
git remote add upstream [https://github.com/prekoda/OnlyPilani.git](https://github.com/prekoda/OnlyPilani.git)

2. Branching and Implementation

Create a descriptive branch name and add your files:

git checkout -b feature/add-maths2-notes
# Move your .md files into the appropriate docs/ subdirectory

3. Staging and Committing

Stage your changes and write a concise, professional commit message:

git add .
git commit -m "Add Unit 1 notes for Mathematics II"

4. Synchronization and Submission

Push your branch to your fork and open a Pull Request on the main repository:

git push origin feature/add-maths2-notes

Formatting Standards

To maintain a high standard of readability across the site, please adhere to these formatting rules:

Data Presentation

Use tables instead of long bulleted lists whenever possible. This makes comparing concepts significantly easier for students.

Concept Description Usage
Inheritance Reusing code from a base class OOP Java
Polymorphism Multiple forms of a single function OOP Java

Visual Aids

  • Flowcharts: Use Mermaid diagrams for process flows or decision trees.
  • Math: Use LaTeX for all mathematical or scientific expressions to ensure clarity at any zoom level. Rendered images of equations are not permitted.

Example:

Asset Management

  • Place all images and PDFs in the docs/assets/ directory.
  • Use descriptive filenames (e.g., eisenhower-matrix.png instead of image123.png).

Licensing

By contributing to OnlyPilani, you agree that your work will be licensed under the Open Software License 3.0.

Refer to the LICENSE for full details.

Conclusion

Thank you for contributing to the community knowledge base. Your efforts help make academic resources more accessible for every student at BITS.

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