a command-line interface for standardizing the contribution tasks between projects

• Works with any programming language
• Works on Windows/Mac/Linux
• Works with any version control software
• Works with any task runner

Contrib currently requires Node.js (hoping to someday make it a stand-alone package)
Download and Install Node.js

Once Node.js is installed on your system you can install contrib globally.

NOTE: If you get permissions errors use sudo before the command

npm install contrib --global

Run the contrib command at the root of a project directory where a contrib.json file exists. See Configuring for information on creating a contrib.json.

contrib

This will show you the available commands for the project and how to use them.

Run contrib init to generate a contrib.json file with some suggested commands.

NOTE: The quickest way to get started is probably to copy an existing contrib.json from another project that has a similar workflow, and then modify it for your needs.

The basic structure of a contrib.json file looks like this:

{
  "project": {
    "name": "my-project",
    "requirements": [
      { 
        "name": "example requirement",
        "home": "http://example.com"
      }
    ]
  },
  "install": {
    "desc": "Fork and clone the project",
    "steps": [
      { "exec": "echo First step!", "desc": "Example first install step" }
    ]
  },
  "setup": {
    "desc": "Setup branches and install dependencies",
    "steps": [
      { "exec": "echo First step!", "desc": "Example first setup step" }
    ]
  }
}

The project object in the config file holds meta data for the project.

• name (required) The name of the project
• requirements (optional) An array of objects that describe project requirements

Any key of the main object besides "project" is considered a command. In its simplest form a command is just an array of command-line tasks to execute. The following example command would be run with contrib example.

{
  "example": [
    "echo hello",
    "echo world"
  ]
}

You can also create a command as an object with a "steps" array to allow you to also provide a description ("desc") of the command.

{
  "example": {
    "desc": "Description of the example command",
    "steps": [
      "echo hello",
      "echo world"
    ]
  }
}

Individual steps can also be created as objects to provide descriptions.

{
  "example": {
    "desc": "Description of the example command",
    "steps": [
      { "exec": "echo hello", "desc": "Write 'hello'" },
      { "exec": "echo world", "desc": "Write 'world'" }
    ]
  }
}

Commands can also be set up to have sub commands. The following subcommands would be run with contrib feature start and contrib feature submit.

{
  "feature": {
    "desc": "Example command for creating a feature",
    "start": {
      "desc": "Start building a new feature",
      "steps": [
        { "exec": "echo Starting Feature", "desc": "Feature start step 1" }
      ]
    },
    "submit": {
      "desc": "Submit a finished feature",
      "steps": [
        { "exec": "echo Submitting Feature", "desc": "Feature submit step 1" }
      ]
    }
  }
}

There are a few different types of steps.

Run the given command

{
  "steps": [
    { "exec": "COMMAND TO RUN" }
  ]
}

If a string is used to define the step, it's assumed to be an exec step.

{
  "steps": [
    "COMMAND TO RUN"
  ]
}

Prompt steps ask the user for some type of information.

Contributing to open source projects today requires a lot of process that many potential contributors (maybe most) are not familiar with.

"Sorry - I don't use git." (video.js#781)

"Perhaps another time; I'm not familiar with the testing framework and would have to get the whole environment set-up." (video.js#603)

"Unfortunately I am not familiar with Github processes" (video.js#734)

No, thanks. I'm too lazy to fork, download, build and run tests :) (video.js#673)

Not really sure how... (video.js#1297)

Hi. What is PR? :) (video.js#1247)

In all of these examples the commenter helped solve the issue, so it wasn't a lack of ability or willingness to help that was the blocker, it was the requirement of knowledge of the tools and setup time.

The solution is easy — everyone needs to agree to use the same programming language, version control, branching model, task runner, testing framework, style-guide, and bug-tracker.

Since that's unlikely to happen, our next option is to provide a common interface for interacting with projects.

This is what contrib is meant to be. With contrib a contributor can get set up and help out quickly, while also learning a project's specific tasks, version controls commands, and other processes as they go.

• Generate user-friendly contribution guides (e.g. CONTRIBUTING.md) from the config
• Support internationalization for both the CLI and text guides
• Create compiled executables (remove node.js requirement)

Contrib is not meant to replace existing task runners or do everything a task runner can. It is meant to be a mapping of common processes to existing project-specific tasks and commands.

Contrib is meant to teach the underlying commands (not hide them) while also allowing the contributor to be immediately productive.

Copyright (c) 2014 heff. Licensed under the MIT license.