Contributing Guide

🤝 Contributing to VaultAI

Help make VaultAI even better! Whether you're a developer, designer, writer, or user, there are many ways to contribute to this growing project.

🚀 Ways to Contribute

🐛 Bug Reports & Feature Requests

Your feedback shapes VaultAI's future:

Reporting Bugs

1. Check existing issues first on GitHub Issues
2. Use the bug report template when creating new issues
3. Include detailed information:
   • Obsidian version and operating system
   • VaultAI version number
   • Steps to reproduce the problem
   • Expected vs actual behavior
   • Screenshots or error messages

Suggesting Features

1. Search existing feature requests to avoid duplicates
2. Use the feature request template
3. Explain the use case - why is this feature needed?
4. Provide examples of how it would work
5. Consider implementation - is it technically feasible?

💬 Community Support

Help other users get the most from VaultAI:

In GitHub Discussions

• Answer questions from new users
• Share your workflows and tips
• Discuss feature ideas and improvements
• Provide feedback on proposed changes

Documentation Improvements

• Fix typos or unclear instructions
• Add examples and use cases
• Translate documentation (if applicable)
• Create video tutorials or guides

🔧 Code Contributions

Ready to dive into the code? Here's how to get started:

🛠️ Development Setup

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ - Latest LTS version recommended
• Git - For version control
• Code Editor - VS Code recommended with TypeScript support
• Obsidian - For testing the plugin

Fork & Clone

1. Fork the repository on GitHub
2. Clone your fork locally:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/VaultAI.git
cd VaultAI

Install Dependencies

npm install

Development Workflow

1. Create a branch for your feature:

git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature

2. Start development mode:

npm run dev

3. Link to Obsidian (for testing):

# Create symlink to your test vault's plugin directory
ln -s /path/to/VaultAI /path/to/vault/.obsidian/plugins/vaultai

4. Make your changes and test thoroughly

5. Build for production:

npm run build

📝 Coding Guidelines

Code Style

• TypeScript - Strongly typed code preferred
• ESLint - Follow the existing linting rules
• Prettier - Use for consistent formatting
• Comments - Document complex logic and public APIs

File Structure

src/
├── modals/          # UI modal components
├── services/        # Core services (AI, settings)
├── types/           # TypeScript type definitions
└── utils/           # Helper functions

Key Components

• main.ts - Plugin entry point and core functionality
• services/GeminiService.ts - AI integration
• modals/ - User interface components

Testing Your Changes

1. Test in multiple scenarios:

   • Different note types (markdown, canvas)
   • Various content lengths
   • Edge cases and error conditions

2. Verify core features:

   • Chat interface functionality
   • Insert Mode cursor tracking
   • Custom prompts system
   • Keyboard shortcuts

3. Check performance:

   • Response times
   • Memory usage
   • Large document handling

🎯 Contribution Types

🌟 High-Impact Areas

Performance Improvements

• Optimize API calls and caching
• Improve large document handling
• Reduce memory usage

User Experience Enhancements

• Better error handling and messages
• Improved UI/UX design
• Accessibility improvements

Feature Additions

• New AI model integrations
• Advanced prompt features
• Export/import functionality

🎨 Design Contributions

UI/UX Improvements

• Modern design updates
• Better responsive layouts
• Improved accessibility
• Icon and graphic design

Documentation Design

• Wiki layout improvements
• Visual guides and tutorials
• Infographics and diagrams

📚 Documentation Contributions

Technical Documentation

• API documentation
• Architecture guides
• Development tutorials

User Documentation

• Tutorial improvements
• Use case examples
• Troubleshooting guides

📋 Pull Request Process

Before Submitting

1. Test thoroughly - Ensure your changes work correctly
2. Update documentation - Include relevant docs updates
3. Follow commit conventions:

feat: add new custom prompt validation
fix: resolve cursor tracking issue
docs: update installation guide
style: improve code formatting

Pull Request Guidelines

1. Clear title and description - Explain what and why
2. Reference related issues - Use "Fixes #123" format
3. Include testing notes - How did you test the changes?
4. Screenshots/videos - For UI changes, show before/after
5. Keep changes focused - One feature/fix per PR

Review Process

1. Automated checks - Ensure CI/CD passes
2. Code review - Maintainer will review and provide feedback
3. Testing - Changes will be tested in various scenarios
4. Merge - Once approved, changes will be merged

🏆 Recognition

Contributor Credits

• Contributors are listed in release notes
• Significant contributions highlighted in README
• Community recognition in GitHub Discussions

Becoming a Maintainer

Regular contributors may be invited to become maintainers with:

• Commit access to the repository
• Ability to review and merge pull requests
• Voice in project direction and decisions

🎯 Current Priorities

🔥 High Priority

• Performance optimizations for large vaults
• Better error handling and user feedback
• Mobile compatibility improvements
• Additional AI model integrations

🚀 Medium Priority

• Advanced prompt templating system
• Export/import functionality
• Plugin API for extensions
• Collaboration features

💡 Future Ideas

• Voice input integration
• Real-time collaboration
• Advanced analytics
• Plugin marketplace integration

📞 Getting Help

Development Questions

• GitHub Discussions - For general development questions
• Discord/Slack - Real-time chat (if available)
• Email - Direct contact for sensitive issues

Resources

• Obsidian Plugin API - Official documentation
• TypeScript Guide - Learn TypeScript
• Electron - Understanding the underlying platform

🙏 Thank You

Every contribution, no matter how small, helps make VaultAI better for everyone. Whether you:

• Report a bug that helps improve stability
• Suggest a feature that enhances productivity
• Fix a typo that improves clarity
• Answer a question that helps another user
• Write code that adds new capabilities

You're making a difference!

The VaultAI community appreciates your time, effort, and expertise. Together, we're building the future of AI-enhanced note-taking.

---

💡 Ready to contribute? Start by exploring the issues labeled "good first issue" for beginner-friendly ways to get involved!