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Contributing to Wave

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Wave, a modern systems programming language. Wave welcomes contributions through GitHub Pull Requests and email-based patches. This document explains how to contribute in both ways, the required development setup, and contribution rules.

1. Development Setup

Wave uses a dedicated setup repository for tools and environment preparation.

Before contributing, please follow:

-> https://github.com/wavefnd/setup

This includes installation instructions for Rust, LLVM, Clang tools, and other dependencies required to build Wave

2. Contribution Methods

Wave accepts contributions in two ways:

2.1 GitHub pull Request (Recommended for most contributor)

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a branch
  3. Commit changes with git commit -s
  4. Open a Pull Request targeting master

Example:

git checkout -b fix/parser-bug
git commit -s -m "Fix incorrect precedence handling"
git push origin fix/parser-bug

Then open a PR on GitHub

2.2 Email Patch Submission

Wave also accepts patches through email, similar to the Linux kernel and LLVM workflows.

Steps to submit a patch via email

git checkout -b fix-issue
git commit -s
git format-patch -1
git send-email --to wave-patches@lunastev.org *.patch

Requirements:

  • ALL commits must include Signed-off-by: (DCO)
  • One patch should address on logical change
  • Patch series is allowed (git format-patch supports it)

3. DCO Requirement (Developer Certificate of Origin)

Wave requires all commits-PRs and patches-to be signed off:

git commit -s

This adds:

Signed-off-by: Your Name <email@example.com>

Commits without DCO will be rejected.

4. Patch Verification (Maintainers Only)

Maintainters must verify all incoming patches using:

tools/verify_patch.sh your_patch.patch

This script checks:

  • Patch applies cleanly (git am)
  • DCO signature is present
  • cargo fmt --check
  • cargo build
  • cargo test
  • cargo clippy -- -D warnings

This ensures that patches do not break Wave's compiler.

5. Finding the Appropriate Maintainer

To determine which maintainer should review your patch, use:

python3 tools/get_maintainer.py path/to/changed/file.rs

This script reads the repository's MAINTAINERS file and prints the appropriate individuals.

Patch authors may CC maintainers manually when sending patches via email.

6. Code Style

Wave follows standard Rust conventions:

  • snake_case for functions and variables
  • PascalCase for structs, enums, and types
  • SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE for constants
  • Opening braces on the same line (K&R style)
  • No trailing whitespace

All formatting rules must pass:

cargo fmt --check
cargo clippy -- -D warnings

7. Project Scope and Philosophy

Wave is a systems programming language with:

  • No builtin functions
  • No implicit runtime
  • Strict explicit behavior
  • A powerful compiler-first architecture

Do not add builtin functions or hidden magic to the compiler. All additional functionality should be provided through external libraries (e.g., Vex).

8. Tests

Wave uses:

  • Rust unit tests (cargo test)
  • Manually executed .wave examples in test/ (not automated)

Contributors should:

  • Add unit tests for new Rust functionality
  • Add .wave examples for new language features

9. Pull Request Guidelines

A PR should include:

  • A clear description of the change
  • Why the change is needed
  • Tests if applicable
  • Documentation updates if necessary
  • Signed-off commits (-s)

All pull request descriptions and comments must be written in English.

Small, focused PRs are preferred.

10. Communication

  • GitHub Issues -> bug reports, proposals, questions
  • GitHub Discussions -> design conversations, feedback
  • Discord community -> informal communication and help

11. License

By contributing to Wave, you agree that your contributions are licensed under:

Mozilla Public License 2.0

12. Thank You

Every contribution helps Wave grow into a robust, modern systems language. Thank you for helping shape the future of Wave.