CONTRIBUTING.md

🌟 Hacktoberfest 2024 Contribution Guide for Medi-Connect 🏥

Welcome to the Medi-Connect repository! We are thrilled that you're interested in contributing to this project. Medi-Connect aims to streamline hospital appointments and OPD management. This contribution guide will walk you through setting up the project, making your contributions count for Hacktoberfest 2024, and improving healthcare accessibility through technology! 🌐💻

Deployed Project: Medi-Connect

Code of Conduct

Please read and follow our CODE OF CONDUCT

Need Help with the Basics? 🤔

If you're new to Git and GitHub, no worries! Here are some useful resources:

• Forking a Repository
• Cloning a Repository
• How to Create a Pull Request
• Getting Started with Git and GitHub
• Learn GitHub from Scratch

Project Structure 📂

MEDI-CONNECT/
├── .github/                  # Configuration files for GitHub workflows, issue templates, and repository settings
│   
├── .husky/                   # Git hooks configuration files to manage and automate tasks in the development workflow
│   
├── client/                   # Front-end code and assets for the client-side of the project (e.g., web or mobile apps)
│   
├── server/                   # Back-end code and server-side logic for the desktop application or web services
│     
├── .gitignore                # List of files and directories to be ignored by version control
│   
├── CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md        # Guidelines for contributing and expected behavior within the project community
│   
├── docker-compose.yaml       # Docker configuration for setting up and managing multi-container applications
│   
├── eslint.config.mjs         # ESLint configuration file for maintaining code quality and style
│   
├── IMPLEMENTATION.md         # Detailed implementation guide for various parts of the project, including web development
│   
├── LICENSE                   # Information regarding the licensing terms of the project's code and resources
│   
├── logo.svg                  # Project's logo in SVG format for branding and UI use
├── package-lock.json         # Dependency tree for npm packages used in the project to ensure consistent installations
├── package.json              # Project metadata and dependencies for Node.js and npm package management
├── README.md                 # Overview of the project, setup instructions, and general documentation

What Can You Contribute ? 🌟

There are several ways you can help improve Medi-Connect:

• Bug Fixes 🛠️: Found a bug? We’d love your help fixing it.
• New Features 📦: Have a cool idea to make the platform better? Add it!
• Documentation 📜: If you think our docs can be improved, feel free to enhance them.
• Testing 🧪: Writing tests and ensuring code quality is crucial.
• Ideas & Discussions 💡: You can open an issue to discuss new features or improvements.

Contribution Guidelines 📜

To maintain quality and consistency, please adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Code Style: Follow the coding style used throughout the project. Clean, readable code with comments is always appreciated.
2. Commits: Write meaningful commit messages.
3. Pull Requests: Make sure PRs are focused, well-explained, and reference any issues they address.
4. Testing: Ensure that your changes are well-tested locally and don’t break existing functionality.
5. Environment Setup: Make sure your .env file and MongoDB connection are properly configured.

Hacktoberfest 2024 Participation 🎉

We are proud participants of Hacktoberfest 2024! Contribute between October 1st and October 31st and get the chance to earn exclusive Hacktoberfest swag 🏅. Here's how to get started:

• Register for Hacktoberfest to get started.
• Open at least 4 quality PRs during October and help us improve Medi-Connect!

Make sure your PRs are:

• Focused: Try to keep them small and meaningful.
• High-Quality: Test your changes and follow best practices.

Key Project Links 🎯

• Deployed Project: Medi-Connect Platform
• Repository: Medi-Connect on GitHub
• README: Click Here

First Pull Request ✨

1. Star this repository Click on the top right corner marked as Stars at last.

2. Fork this repository Click on the top right corner marked as Fork at second last.

3. Clone the forked repository

git clone https://github.com/<your-github-username>/medi-connect.git

4. Navigate to the project directory

cd medi-connect

5. Create a new branch

git checkout -b <your_branch_name>

6. To make changes

git add .

7. Now to commit

git commit -m "add comment according to your changes or addition of features inside this"

8. Push your local commits to the remote repository

git push -u origin <your_branch_name>

9. Create a Pull Request

10. Congratulations! 🎉 you've made your contribution

Alternatively, contribute using GitHub Desktop 🖥️

1. Open GitHub Desktop: Launch GitHub Desktop and log in to your GitHub account if you haven't already.

2. Clone the Repository:

• If you haven't cloned the Project-Guidance repository yet, you can do so by clicking on the "File" menu and selecting "Clone Repository."
• Choose the Project-Guidance repository from the list of repositories on GitHub and clone it to your local machine.

3.Switch to the Correct Branch:

• Ensure you are on the branch that you want to submit a pull request for.
• If you need to switch branches, you can do so by clicking on the "Current Branch" dropdown menu and selecting the desired branch.

4. Make Changes:

• Make your changes to the code or files in the repository using your preferred code editor.

5. Commit Changes:

• In GitHub Desktop, you'll see a list of the files you've changed. Check the box next to each file you want to include in the commit.
• Enter a summary and description for your changes in the "Summary" and "Description" fields, respectively. Click the "Commit to " button to commit your changes to the local branch.

6. Push Changes to GitHub:

• After committing your changes, click the "Push origin" button in the top right corner of GitHub Desktop to push your changes to your forked repository on GitHub.

7. Create a Pull Request:

• Go to the GitHub website and navigate to your fork of the Project-Guidance repository.
• You should see a button to "Compare & pull request" between your fork and the original repository. Click on it.

8. Review and Submit:

• On the pull request page, review your changes and add any additional information, such as a title and description, that you want to include with your pull request.
• Once you're satisfied, click the "Create pull request" button to submit your pull request.

9. Wait for Review: Your pull request will now be available for review by the project maintainers. They may provide feedback or ask for changes before merging your pull request into the main branch of the Project-Guidance repository.

For Help And Support 💬

• Admin :- Luson Basumatary
• Contact :- Email

Good Coding Practices 🧑‍💻

1. Follow the Project's Code Style

   • Maintain consistency with the existing code style (indentation, spacing, comments).
   • Use meaningful and descriptive names for variables, functions, and classes.
   • Keep functions short and focused on a single task.
   • Avoid hardcoding values; instead, use constants or configuration files when possible.

2. Write Clear and Concise Comments

   • Use comments to explain why you did something, not just what you did.
   • Avoid unnecessary comments that state the obvious.
   • Document complex logic and functions with brief explanations to help others understand your thought -process.

3. Keep Code DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself)

   • Avoid duplicating code. Reuse functions, methods, and components whenever possible.
   • If you find yourself copying and pasting code, consider creating a new function or component.

4. Write Tests

   • Write unit tests for your functions and components.
   • Ensure your tests cover both expected outcomes and edge cases.
   • Run tests locally before making a pull request to make sure your changes don’t introduce new bugs.

5. Code Reviews and Feedback

   • Be open to receiving constructive feedback from other contributors.
   • Conduct code reviews for others and provide meaningful suggestions to improve the code.
   • Always refactor your code based on feedback to meet the project's standards.

Pull Request Process 🚀

When submitting a pull request, please adhere to the following:

1. Self-review your code before submission. 😀
2. Include a detailed description of the functionality you’ve added or modified.
3. Comment your code, especially in complex sections, to aid understanding.
4. Add relevant screenshots to assist in the review process.
5. Submit your PR using the provided template and hang tight; we'll review it as soon as possible! 🚀

Issue Report Process 📌

To report an issue, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the project's issues section :- Issues
2. Provide a clear and concise description of the issue.
3. Wait until someone looks into your report.
4. Begin working on the issue only after you have been assigned to it. 🚀

Thank you for contributing 💗

We truly appreciate your time and effort to help improve our project. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need guidance. Happy coding! 🚀