lap/CONTRIBUTING.md

Contributing to Lap

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Lap! We welcome all kinds of contributions — bug reports, feature ideas, and code.

This document helps you get started and ensures contributions are efficient and aligned with the project.

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Project Philosophy

Lap follows a few core principles:

• Consistency – predictable and coherent UX
• Simplicity – avoid unnecessary complexity
• Elegance – clean and minimal design
• Performance first – must scale to large libraries (10k–100k+ files)

If a proposal conflicts with these principles, it is unlikely to be accepted.

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How to Contribute

Reporting Bugs

Before opening an issue:

• Check existing issues
• Try the latest version

Please include:

• OS and version (macOS / Windows / Linux)
• Lap version
• Steps to reproduce
• Expected vs actual behavior
• Sample files (if relevant)

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Suggesting Features

• Clearly describe the problem, not just the solution
• Explain the use case
• Keep proposals aligned with project philosophy

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Submitting Code

Workflow

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a branch:

   git checkout -b feature/xxx
   

3. Make changes
4. Commit:

   git commit -m "feat: xxx"
   

5. Open a Pull Request

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Pull Request Guidelines

• Keep PRs small and focused
• Explain what and why
• Link related issues (e.g., Fixes #123)
• Add screenshots for UI changes
• Ensure the app builds and runs locally

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Coding Guidelines

General

• Prefer clarity over cleverness
• Avoid unnecessary abstractions
• Keep changes minimal and focused

Rust

• Use idiomatic Rust
• Avoid panic! in production paths
• Handle errors explicitly (Result / Option)

Frontend (Vue)

• Use <script setup>
• Keep components small and composable
• Follow existing Tailwind conventions

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Performance & Stability

This is critical for Lap:

• Avoid performance regressions
• Test with large libraries if possible
• Be mindful of memory usage
• File scanning / thumbnail / DB changes require extra care

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What Not to Do

• Large, unfocused PRs
• Breaking existing workflows without discussion
• Adding heavy dependencies without strong justification

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💬 Communication

• Be respectful and constructive
• Discuss before large changes
• Feedback is always welcome

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Recognition

All contributions are appreciated.
Active contributors may be invited to become long-term collaborators.

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Thanks for helping make Lap better ❤️