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Contributing to LancePay 💸

Thank you for your interest in contributing to LancePay! We welcome contributions from the community to help build a better payment platform for Nigerian freelancers.

🚀 How to Contribute

1. Fork the Repository

Click the "Fork" button at the top right of the repository page to create your own copy of the project.

2. Clone Your Fork

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/LancePay.git
cd LancePay

3. Create a New Branch

Create a descriptive branch name that reflects the feature or fix you're working on:

# For new features
git checkout -b feat-add-currency-converter

# For bug fixes
git checkout -b fix-invoice-validation-error

# For documentation
git checkout -b docs-update-stellar-guide

# For refactoring
git checkout -b refactor-payment-flow

Branch Naming Convention:

  • feat- for new features
  • fix- for bug fixes
  • docs- for documentation changes
  • refactor- for code refactoring
  • chore- for maintenance tasks

4. Make Your Changes

  • Write clean, readable code following our Code Style Guide
  • Keep components under 50 lines when possible
  • Keep API routes under 40 lines when possible
  • Avoid unnecessary abstractions — less code = less bugs
  • Test your changes locally

5. Commit Your Changes

Write clear, descriptive commit messages:

git add .
git commit -m "feat: add NGN currency converter to dashboard"

Commit Message Format:

<type>: <description>

[optional body]

Types:

  • feat: New feature
  • fix: Bug fix
  • docs: Documentation changes
  • refactor: Code refactoring
  • chore: Maintenance tasks
  • test: Adding or updating tests

Examples:

git commit -m "feat: add Yellow Card withdrawal integration"
git commit -m "fix: resolve invoice PDF generation error"
git commit -m "docs: update README with Stellar migration info"

6. Push to Your Fork

git push origin YOUR_BRANCH_NAME

For example:

git push origin feat-add-currency-converter

7. Create a Pull Request

  1. Go to the original LancePay repository
  2. Click "Pull Requests" → "New Pull Request"
  3. Click "compare across forks"
  4. Select your fork and branch
  5. Fill out the PR template with:
    • Title: Clear, descriptive title (e.g., "Add Yellow Card withdrawal integration")
    • Description: What changes you made and why
    • Related Issue: Link to any related issues (e.g., "Closes #123")
    • Testing: How you tested your changes
  6. Click "Create Pull Request"

🔍 Pull Request Guidelines

Before Submitting

  • Code follows the Code Style Guide
  • Changes have been tested locally
  • No console errors or warnings
  • Documentation updated if needed
  • Commit messages are clear and descriptive

PR Description Template

## Description
Brief description of what this PR does

## Type of Change
- [ ] New feature
- [ ] Bug fix
- [ ] Documentation update
- [ ] Code refactoring
- [ ] Other (please describe)

## Related Issue
Closes #(issue number)

## How Has This Been Tested?
Describe how you tested your changes

## Screenshots (if applicable)
Add screenshots for UI changes

🛠️ Development Setup

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 18+
  • PostgreSQL (or Neon account)
  • Git

Installation

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Set up environment variables
cp .env.example .env.local
# Edit .env.local with your credentials

# Run database migrations
npx prisma migrate dev

# Start development server
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000 to view the app.

Useful Commands

npm run dev          # Start development server
npm run build        # Build for production
npm run lint         # Run ESLint
npx prisma studio    # Open database UI
npx prisma migrate dev    # Create new migration

📝 Code Style Guidelines

We follow a "less code = less bugs" philosophy. Key principles:

  1. Minimize Abstractions

    • Don't create utilities for one-time operations
    • Three similar lines > premature abstraction
    • Only abstract when you have 3+ repeated uses

  2. Keep Files Small

    • Components: Max 50 lines
    • API routes: Max 40 lines
    • If longer, consider splitting

  3. No Over-Engineering

    • Don't add features beyond what's requested
    • Don't add error handling for scenarios that can't happen
    • Trust internal code and framework guarantees

  4. Clear Naming

    • Use descriptive variable/function names
    • Avoid abbreviations unless obvious
    • Components should be PascalCase
    • Functions/variables should be camelCase

See CODE_STYLE.md for full guidelines.

🐛 Reporting Bugs

Found a bug? Please create an issue with:

  1. Clear title describing the bug
  2. Steps to reproduce the issue
  3. Expected behavior vs actual behavior
  4. Screenshots if applicable
  5. Environment details (browser, OS, etc.)

💡 Suggesting Features

Have an idea? Create an issue with:

  1. Clear title describing the feature
  2. Problem statement — What problem does this solve?
  3. Proposed solution — How would it work?
  4. Alternatives considered — Other approaches you thought about
  5. Additional context — Screenshots, mockups, examples

❓ Questions?

🎯 Good First Issues

Looking for where to start? Check out issues labeled:

  • good first issue — Perfect for newcomers
  • help wanted — We need community help
  • documentation — Improve our docs

📜 Code of Conduct

  • Be respectful and inclusive
  • Focus on constructive feedback
  • Help others learn and grow
  • Keep discussions professional

🙏 Thank You!

Every contribution, no matter how small, helps make LancePay better for Nigerian freelancers. We appreciate your time and effort!

Built with ❤️ for Nigerian freelancers.