Development Workflow

This document outlines the recommended workflow for developing features and fixes for the NOS-T project.

Version Control Workflow

We follow a standard GitHub flow for development:

Fork the Repository: Begin by forking the main NOS-T repository to your GitHub account.
Create a Branch: Create a branch in your fork for your contribution:
```
git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
# or
git checkout -b fix/issue-you-are-fixing
```
Use a descriptive name that reflects the purpose of your changes.
Make Your Changes: Develop your contribution following our coding standards.
Commit Your Changes: Make commits that are logical, atomic units of change:
```
git commit -m "Descriptive message about your changes"
```
Follow these commit message guidelines:
- Use the present tense (“Add feature” not “Added feature”)
- Use the imperative mood (“Move cursor to…” not “Moves cursor to…”)
- Limit the first line to 72 characters or less
- Reference issues and pull requests liberally after the first line

Push to Your Fork:

git push origin feature/your-feature-name

Submit a Pull Request: Create a pull request from your branch to the main NOS-T repository.

Issue Tracking: All features and bugs should be tracked in our GitHub issue tracker.
Design: For significant features, create a design document or proposal first and seek feedback.
Implementation: Develop your changes with attention to maintainability and performance.
Testing: * Write unit tests for all new functionality * Update existing tests as needed * Ensure all tests pass locally before submitting * aim for 80%+ code coverage for new code
Documentation: * Update API documentation for any changed interfaces * Add or update user guides as appropriate * Include examples for new features
Code Review: All code changes undergo peer review through pull requests.
Continuous Integration: Changes must pass all automated CI checks.
Merge: After approval and passing tests, a maintainer will merge your contribution.