Contributing Code
==================

For info on contributing things other than code, such as translations, decks
and add-ons, please see http://ankisrs.net/docs/manual.html#contributing

The goal of Anki 2.1.x is to bring Anki up to date with Python 3 and Qt 5,
while maintaining compatibility with Anki 2.0.x. Some users will be stuck on
Anki 2.0 for a while due to unported add-ons or old hardware, so it's
important that 2.1 doesn't make breaking changes to the file format.

Also of consideration is that the Anki code is indirectly used by the mobile
clients, which try their best to keep as close to the Anki code as possible so
that future updates can be ported more easily. Refactoring code makes it
harder for the mobile clients to track changes, so refactoring should be
limited to times when it is necessary to address an important issue.

Before sending a pull request or a patch, please check the following to
increase your chances of the changes being accepted.

Primarily Bugfixes
-------------------

Small patches that fix a specific problem and don't affect other functionality
are likely to be merged if they meet the other requirements below. Larger
changes are less likely to be accepted for 2.1.x - if in doubt, please ask
before you begin work on them so your work does not go to waste.

Examples of changes that are unlikely to be accepted:

- Altering existing code unnecessarily. Your code may be more elegant than
  what already exists, but it takes time for us to review the changes, may
  harbour unnoticed bugs, and makes maintaining the mobile clients more
  difficult.
- Adding code that is not used within Anki but is only for the benefit of
  add-ons - such code is difficult to test and maintain.
- Adding code that addresses niche issues - they are better handled in an
  add-on.

Maintaining Style
------------------

For consistency, changes should maintain the existing code style - camelCaps,
<80 column lines, succinct variable names and so on.

Tests Must Pass
----------------

Please check that tools/tests.sh passes all tests prior to submitting a
change. If your change is not covered by existing tests, ideally you'll add a
new test.

Do One Thing
-------------

A patch or pull request should be the minimum necessary to address one issue.
Please don't make a pull request for a bunch of unrelated changes, as they are
difficult to review and will be rejected - split them up into separate
requests instead.

License
-------

As mentioned in the LICENSE file, we are only able to accept non-trivial
patches or pull requests from people who have sent us a private message
indicating that they license their changes under the BSD license.

Add-ons
========

If you'd like to make more extensive changes, please consider writing an
add-on instead, as add-ons have none of these restrictions and can implement
whatever functionality in whatever style you wish.
