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Contributing to Spin-Based Neural Computation Framework

Thank you for your interest in contributing to the Spin-Based Neural Computation Framework! This document provides guidelines and instructions for contributing to this project.

Table of Contents

Code of Conduct

By participating in this project, you agree to abide by our Code of Conduct, which promotes a respectful and inclusive environment.

Getting Started

  1. Fork the repository on GitHub
  2. Clone your fork to your local machine
  3. Set up the development environment as described in the Development Setup section
  4. Create a branch for your work

How to Contribute

Reporting Bugs

  1. Search existing issues to avoid duplicates
  2. Create a new issue with the following information:
    • Clear and descriptive title
    • Detailed steps to reproduce the bug
    • Expected vs. actual behavior
    • Screenshots or code snippets if applicable
    • Environment details (OS, compiler version, etc.)
    • Any relevant error messages or logs

Suggesting Enhancements

  1. Search existing issues to avoid duplicates
  2. Create a new issue with the following information:
    • Clear and descriptive title
    • Detailed description of the proposed enhancement
    • Justification: why this enhancement would be valuable
    • Potential implementation approach (optional)
    • Any references or examples (optional)

Pull Requests

  1. Update your fork with the latest changes from the main repository
  2. Create a branch with a descriptive name related to your change
  3. Make your changes, following our Coding Standards
  4. Add tests for your changes to ensure functionality
  5. Run tests to make sure your changes don't break existing functionality
  6. Update documentation if needed
  7. Submit a pull request with the following information:
    • Reference to the related issue(s)
    • Description of the changes made
    • Any notes on implementation choices
    • Checklist of completed items (tests, documentation, etc.)

Development Setup

To set up your development environment:

  1. Install dependencies:

    • C compiler (GCC or Clang)
    • Make build system
    • SDL2 (for visualization)

  2. Build from source:

    make all_versions

  3. Run tests:

    make test

Coding Standards

  • Code Style:

    • Use 4 spaces for indentation
    • Follow K&R style braces
    • Use descriptive variable and function names
    • Keep functions focused and reasonably sized

  • Comments:

    • Add comments for complex logic and non-obvious behavior
    • Document functions with purpose, parameters, and return values
    • Use // for single-line comments and /* */ for multi-line comments
    • Include references to academic papers or mathematical formulas where appropriate

  • Error Handling:

    • Always check return values from functions that might fail
    • Use consistent error reporting mechanism
    • Free allocated resources in error paths

Testing Guidelines

  • Test Coverage:

    • Add tests for new features
    • Ensure tests cover both normal and edge cases
    • Include validation against known analytical solutions where possible

  • Test Types:

    • Unit tests for individual functions
    • Integration tests for module interactions
    • Performance tests for critical paths
    • Numerical stability tests for computational functions

Documentation Guidelines

  • Code Documentation:

    • Document all public functions in header files
    • Explain parameters and return values
    • Describe any side effects or dependencies

  • User Documentation:

    • Update README.md for significant changes
    • Provide examples for new features
    • Keep documentation in the docs/ directory up-to-date
    • Include references to relevant research papers or educational materials

Thank you for contributing to the Spin-Based Neural Computation Framework!