Welcome to the Donut Finder project! We appreciate your interest in contributing to our documentation. To ensure a smooth and effective contribution process, we've created this guide to help you get started. For detailed documentation on our REST API, visit the Donut Finder API service documentation page.

1. Getting Started
2. How to Contribute
3. Coding Standards
4. Commit Messages
5. Pull Request Process
6. Code Style Guidelines
7. Issue Tracking

Before you start contributing, please ensure you have the following tools installed:

• Git
• A GitHub account
• A text editor or IDE of your choice (e.g., VSCode, Atom, Sublime Text)

1. Fork the Repository

   • Navigate to the Donut Finder repository on GitHub.
   • Click the "Fork" button in the top right corner to create a copy of the repository on your GitHub account.

2. Clone the Forked Repository

   • Open your terminal and clone your forked repository:

     git clone https://github.com/Aviatorscode2/Donut-Finder

   • Navigate to the cloned directory:

     cd donut-finder

3. Create a New Branch

   • Create a new branch for your changes:

     git checkout -b your-branch-name

   • Use a descriptive name for your branch (e.g., update-readme, fix-typo, add-contributing-guide).

4. Make Your Changes

   • Open the project in your text editor.
   • Make the necessary changes or additions to the documentation.

5. Commit Your Changes

   • Add the changes to the staging area:

     git add .

   • Commit the changes with a descriptive message:

     git commit -m "Descriptive commit message"

6. Push Your Changes

   • Push your changes to your forked repository:

     git push origin your-branch-name

7. Create a Pull Request

   • Navigate to the original Donut Finder repository on GitHub.
   • Click the "Compare & pull request" button.
   • Provide a clear and descriptive title for your pull request.
   • Add a detailed description of the changes you made and why they are necessary.
   • Submit the pull request.

Please follow these guidelines to maintain consistency in the project:

• Markdown: Use proper Markdown syntax. Refer to the Markdown Guide for reference.
• File Structure: Keep files and directories organized. Documentation files should be placed in the appropriate directories.

Write clear and concise commit messages. Follow these conventions:

• Use the present tense ("Add feature" not "Added feature").
• Use the imperative mood ("Move button to the right" not "Moves button to the right").
• Limit the first line to 72 characters or less.
• Reference issues and pull requests liberally.

1. Review the Pull Request Template

   • Fill out the pull request template provided in the repository.

2. Code Review

   • Your pull request will be reviewed by the project maintainers.
   • Be prepared to make changes based on feedback.

3. Merge the Pull Request

   • Once approved, your pull request will be merged into the main branch.

• Follow the existing code style and conventions used in the project.
• Use descriptive variable and function names.
• Write clear and concise comments explaining your code.

• If you encounter a bug or have a feature request, please create a new issue on the Donut Finder repository
• Include a clear description of the issue and steps to reproduce it, if applicable.

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Donut Finder! We appreciate your help in making the project better.