CONTRIBUTING.md

Contributing

Thank you for your interest in contributing to this project. This project relies on the help of volunteer developers for its development and maintenance.

Before making any changes to this repository, please first discuss the proposed changes with the repository owners through an issue, email, or any other appropriate method of communication.

Please note that a code of conduct is in place and should be adhered to during all interactions related to the project.

Python version support

Currently, the package supports Python versions 3.8 and above. Once a new Python version is released, we will aim to support it as soon as possible. If you encounter any issues with a new Python version, please create an issue in the repository.

Testing

Given the critical nature of correctly encoded HTTP query strings and the potential for security vulnerabilities if encoding is not done correctly or consistently across platforms and versions of Python, thorough testing is of utmost importance. Please remember to write tests for any new code you create, using the pytest package for all test cases.

Running the test suite

To run the test suite, follow these commands:

git clone https://github.com/techouse/qs_codec
cd qs_codec
python3 -m venv env
source env/bin/activate
pip install -e .
pip install -r requirements_dev.txt
tox

qs JavaScript package compatibility

As this package is a port of the qs package for JavaScript. We aim to provide a similar experience for Python developers, ensuring that the two packages are as similar as possible. If you encounter any discrepancies between the two packages, please create an issue in the repository.

Ensuring compatibility

To ensure compatibility with the Node.js package, please run the following command:

# cd into the test/comparison directory
pushd test/comparison || exit 1

# Install the Node.js dependencies
npm install

# Run the JavaScript and Python scripts and save their outputs
node_output=$(node qs.js)
python_output=$(python3 qs.py)

# Compare the outputs
if [ "$node_output" == "$python_output" ]; then
    echo "The outputs are identical."
else
    echo "The outputs are different."
    exit 1
fi

popd || exit 1

For convenience, the same bash script exists in test/comparison/compare_outputs.sh.

Submitting changes

To contribute to this project, please submit a new pull request and provide a clear list of your changes. For guidance on creating pull requests, you can refer to this resource. When sending a pull request, we highly appreciate the inclusion of tests, as we strive to enhance our test coverage. Following our coding conventions is essential, and it would be ideal if you ensure that each commit focuses on a single feature. For commits, please write clear log messages. While concise one-line messages are suitable for small changes, more substantial modifications should follow a format similar to the example below:

git commit -m "A brief summary of the commit
> 
> A paragraph describing what changed and its impact."

Coding standards

Prioritizing code readability and conciseness is essential. To achieve this, we recommend using black for code formatting. Once your work is deemed complete, it is advisable to run the following command:

tox -e linters

This command runs the a set of linters to identify any potential issues or inconsistencies in your code. By following these guidelines, you can ensure a high-quality codebase.

Thanks, Klemen Tusar