Contributions 🤝
Overview
The uAlberta Thesis LaTeX Template project is open to contributions from all developers, LaTeX enthusiasts, and those who want to improve the template for the benefit of graduate students. Contributions help enhance the template’s functionality, improve documentation, and provide new features based on user feedback. Below is a summary of how you can contribute to the project and the guidelines to follow.
How to Contribute
1. Fork the Repository
To get started, first fork the repository to your own GitHub account. This creates a copy of the repository where you can make changes without affecting the main project.
2. Create a Branch
Once you’ve forked the repo, create a new branch to work on your changes. This ensures that your changes are isolated until you’re ready to submit them.
3. Make Changes
Make your desired improvements or fixes to the template. Here are a few examples of contributions:
Bug fixes: Help resolve any issues or errors in the template.
New features: Add functionality such as new macros, tools, or features that improve the template.
Documentation improvements: Ensure that all documentation is clear, concise, and up-to-date.
Layout enhancements: Improve the formatting or add new style options for thesis formatting.
Compatibility updates: Improve compatibility with various LaTeX packages, Overleaf, or other LaTeX tools.
4. Test Your Changes
Before submitting your contributions, make sure to thoroughly test your changes to ensure that they do not introduce new issues. Check the compiled document for layout issues or LaTeX errors.
5. Create a Pull Request
Once you’ve made your changes and tested them, submit a pull request (PR) to the main repository. This is the formal process for merging your changes into the main template.
Include a clear description of the changes you made and why they improve the template.
Reference any relevant issues that your changes resolve.
Make sure your PR follows the project’s coding style and guidelines.
Contribution Guidelines
Coding Standards: Follow the template’s existing coding style for consistency across the repository.
Commit Messages: Write descriptive commit messages to help reviewers understand the changes.
Issue Tracking: Use GitHub’s issue tracker to report bugs or suggest new features before starting work on them.
Licensing: Ensure that all contributions comply with the project’s license (MIT License).
Current Contributors
draldric: Maintainer and primary developer of the template, overseeing releases and improvements.
Nachodog1738: Contributed to several bug fixes and documentation improvements in version 1.5.1.
Getting Help
If you have questions or need help with contributing, feel free to reach out to the project maintainers or open an issue on GitHub. Contributions are welcomed from both experienced LaTeX users and those just starting with LaTeX. We encourage everyone to get involved!