Contributing to betterdiscordjs¶

Thank you for your interest in contributing to betterdiscordjs! We welcome contributions from developers of all skill levels. This guide will help you get started.

🚀 Quick Start¶

Fork the repository
Clone your fork locally
Install dependencies: npm install
Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/your-feature
Make your changes
Test your changes
Submit a pull request

📜 Code of Conduct¶

This project adheres to a code of conduct. By participating, you are expected to uphold this code. Please report unacceptable behavior to the project maintainers.

Our Standards: - Be respectful and inclusive - Focus on constructive feedback - Help others learn and grow - Maintain a welcoming environment

🛠️ Getting Started¶

Prerequisites¶

Node.js 16.9.0 or higher
npm or yarn package manager
Git
A Discord bot token for testing

Development Setup¶

Fork and clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/axrxvm/betterdiscordjs.git
cd betterdiscordjs

Install dependencies:
```
npm install
```

Set up environment variables:

cp testbot/.env.example testbot/.env
# Edit testbot/.env and add your Discord bot token

Test the setup:
```
npm run test
```

🔧 Making Changes¶

Branch Naming¶

Use descriptive branch names: - feature/command-cooldowns - New features - fix/memory-leak - Bug fixes - docs/api-reference - Documentation updates - refactor/plugin-system - Code refactoring

Commit Messages¶

Follow conventional commit format:

type(scope): description

[optional body]

[optional footer]

Types: - feat - New feature - fix - Bug fix - docs - Documentation changes - style - Code style changes - refactor - Code refactoring - test - Adding or updating tests - chore - Maintenance tasks

Examples:

feat(commands): add cooldown system
fix(ctx): resolve memory leak in context object
docs(readme): update installation instructions

🧪 Testing¶

Running Tests¶

# Run all tests
npm test

# Run specific test file
npm test -- --grep "Bot class"

# Run tests with coverage
npm run test:coverage

Test Bot¶

Use the test bot to verify your changes:

cd testbot
node index.js

Writing Tests¶

Write tests for new features
Update existing tests when modifying functionality
Ensure tests are descriptive and cover edge cases
Use the existing test structure as a guide

📤 Submitting Changes¶

Pull Request Process¶

Update documentation if needed
Add tests for new functionality
Ensure all tests pass
Update CHANGELOG.md if applicable
Create a pull request with a clear title and description

Pull Request Template¶

## Description
Brief description of changes

## Type of Change
- [ ] Bug fix
- [ ] New feature
- [ ] Documentation update
- [ ] Refactoring

## Testing
- [ ] Tests pass locally
- [ ] New tests added (if applicable)
- [ ] Manual testing completed

## Checklist
- [ ] Code follows style guidelines
- [ ] Self-review completed
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] No breaking changes (or clearly documented)

🎨 Style Guidelines¶

JavaScript Style¶

Use ES6+ features where appropriate
Follow camelCase for variables and functions
Use PascalCase for classes
Use UPPER_SNAKE_CASE for constants
Prefer async/await over promises
Use destructuring when beneficial

Code Formatting¶

// Good
const { Client, GatewayIntentBits } = require('discord.js');

class Bot {
  constructor(token, options = {}) {
    this.token = token;
    this.options = options;
  }

  async start() {
    // Implementation
  }
}

// Avoid
var client = require('discord.js').Client;

Documentation¶

Use JSDoc for function documentation
Include parameter types and return types
Provide examples for complex functions
Keep comments concise and relevant

/**
 * Creates a new command with the specified options.
 * @param {string} name - The command name
 * @param {Function} handler - The command handler function
 * @param {object} [options={}] - Additional command options
 * @param {string} [options.description] - Command description
 * @param {boolean} [options.slash] - Enable slash command
 * @returns {object} The created command object
 * @example
 * bot.command('ping', async (ctx) => {
 *   await ctx.reply('Pong!');
 * }, { description: 'Check bot latency' });
 */
command(name, handler, options = {}) {
  // Implementation
}

🏗️ Project Structure¶

Understanding the project structure helps you know where to make changes:

betterdiscordjs/
├── Bot.js                 # Main bot class
├── index.js              # Framework entry point
├── loaders/              # Command and event loaders
│   ├── commands.js
│   └── events.js
├── plugins/              # Plugin system
│   ├── BasePlugin.js
│   ├── PluginManager.js
│   └── built-in/         # Built-in plugins
├── utils/                # Utility modules
│   ├── cache.js
│   ├── ctx.js           # Context object
│   ├── logger.js
│   └── ...
├── testbot/             # Example implementation
├── docs/                # Documentation
└── tests/               # Test files

Where to Make Changes¶

Core functionality → Bot.js, utils/
Plugin system → plugins/
Command/Event loading → loaders/
Documentation → docs/
Examples → testbot/, docs/examples/

📚 Documentation¶

Updating Documentation¶

Update relevant .md files in docs/
Include code examples
Update API references
Test documentation examples

Documentation Structure¶

docs/
├── README.md            # Main documentation index
├── getting-started/     # Beginner guides
├── api/                 # API reference
├── plugins/             # Plugin documentation
├── examples/            # Code examples
└── deployment/          # Deployment guides

🐛 Reporting Issues¶

Bug Reports¶

Include: - Clear description of the issue - Steps to reproduce - Expected vs actual behavior - Environment details (Node.js version, OS, etc.) - Code samples if applicable

Feature Requests¶

Include: - Clear description of the feature - Use case and motivation - Proposed implementation (if you have ideas) - Examples of similar features

🏷️ Release Process¶

Releases follow semantic versioning (SemVer): - MAJOR - Breaking changes - MINOR - New features (backward compatible) - PATCH - Bug fixes (backward compatible)

🤝 Community¶

Be respectful and constructive
Help others learn and contribute
Share knowledge and best practices
Celebrate contributions from all skill levels

📞 Getting Help¶

Documentation - Check the docs first
Issues - Search existing issues
Discussions - Ask questions in GitHub Discussions
Discord - Join our community server (if available)

🙏 Recognition¶

Contributors are recognized in: - CHANGELOG.md - For significant contributions - README.md - In the acknowledgments section - Release notes - For major features

Thank you for contributing to betterdiscordjs! Your efforts help make Discord bot development better for everyone. 🚀