Contributing to 1Code

Welcome Contributors!

1Code is an open-source project, and we welcome contributions from the community. Whether you’re fixing bugs, adding features, improving documentation, or sharing feedback, your help makes 1Code better for everyone.

By contributing to 1Code, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the Apache License 2.0.

Ways to Contribute

Report Bugs

Found an issue? Let us know on GitHub Issues

Request Features

Have an idea? Share it in GitHub Discussions

Submit Code

Fix bugs or add features via Pull Requests

Improve Docs

Help make documentation clearer and more complete

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Before you start contributing, make sure you have:

Bun - Package manager and build tool
Python 3.11+ - Required for native module compilation (setuptools needed for 3.12+)
Git - Version control
Xcode Command Line Tools (macOS only)

Development Setup

Fork and clone the repository

# Fork the repo on GitHub, then clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/1code.git
cd 1code

Install dependencies

bun install

This also runs the postinstall script which rebuilds native modules.

Download agent binaries

Don’t skip this step! The app won’t work without these binaries.

bun run claude:download
bun run codex:download

Start development mode

bun run dev

The app opens with hot reload enabled. Changes to the renderer process reload automatically; main process changes require restarting the dev server.

Development Commands

# Development
bun run dev              # Start with hot reload

# Build
bun run build            # Compile TypeScript
bun run package          # Package for current platform (dir)
bun run package:mac      # Build macOS (DMG + ZIP)
bun run package:win      # Build Windows (NSIS + portable)
bun run package:linux    # Build Linux (AppImage + DEB)

# Database (Drizzle + SQLite)
bun run db:generate      # Generate migrations from schema
bun run db:push          # Push schema directly (dev only)
bun run db:studio        # Open Drizzle Studio

# Type checking
bun run ts:check         # Check TypeScript without emitting

Project Structure

Understanding the codebase:

src/
├── main/                    # Electron main process
│   ├── index.ts             # App entry, window lifecycle
│   ├── auth-manager.ts      # OAuth flow, token refresh
│   ├── auth-store.ts        # Encrypted credential storage
│   └── lib/
│       ├── db/              # Drizzle + SQLite
│       │   ├── schema/      # Database table definitions
│       │   └── index.ts     # DB init, auto-migrate
│       └── trpc/routers/    # tRPC API endpoints
│
├── preload/                 # IPC bridge (context isolation)
│   └── index.ts             # Exposes desktopApi + tRPC
│
└── renderer/                # React 19 UI
    ├── App.tsx              # Root with providers
    ├── features/
    │   ├── agents/          # Main chat interface
    │   ├── sidebar/         # Navigation and chat list
    │   └── layout/          # Resizable panels
    ├── components/ui/       # Radix UI components
    └── lib/
        ├── atoms/           # Jotai global state
        └── stores/          # Zustand stores

Key Files

src/main/lib/db/schema/index.ts - Database schema (source of truth)
src/main/lib/trpc/routers/ - Backend API routes
src/renderer/features/agents/main/active-chat.tsx - Main chat UI
electron.vite.config.ts - Build configuration
package.json - Dependencies and scripts

Making Changes

Creating a Feature Branch

# Create a branch for your work
git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
# or
git checkout -b fix/bug-description

Code Style

1Code uses TypeScript with strict mode enabled. Follow these conventions: Naming conventions:

Components: PascalCase (ActiveChat.tsx, AgentsSidebar.tsx)
Utilities/hooks: camelCase (useFileUpload.ts, formatters.ts)
Stores: kebab-case (sub-chat-store.ts, agent-chat-store.ts)
Atoms: camelCase with Atom suffix (selectedAgentChatIdAtom)

General guidelines:

Write TypeScript, not JavaScript
Use functional components and hooks (React 19)
Prefer Jotai atoms for UI state
Prefer Zustand stores for complex state
Use tRPC for main ↔ renderer communication
Add JSDoc comments for complex functions
Keep files focused and single-purpose

Database Changes

If you modify the database schema:

Update schema

Edit src/main/lib/db/schema/index.ts

Generate migration

bun run db:generate

This creates a SQL migration in drizzle/

Test migration

Test with an existing database to ensure it migrates correctly.

Breaking changes to the schema can cause data loss. Test thoroughly!

Document changes

Add migration notes to your PR description.

Testing Your Changes

Before submitting a PR:

Test in development:
```
bun run dev
```

Test a production build:

bun run build
bun run package:mac  # or your platform

Test on a clean install: Simulate a fresh install by clearing app data:

# macOS
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Agents\ Dev/
defaults delete dev.21st.agents.dev

# Linux
rm -rf ~/.config/1Code-dev/

# Windows
# Delete %APPDATA%/1Code-dev/

Verify git worktrees work: Test creating, using, and deleting worktrees
Check database migrations: Test on an existing database with data

Submitting a Pull Request

Commit your changes

Write clear, descriptive commit messages:

git add .
git commit -m "feat: add voice input to chat interface"

Commit message format:

feat: - New feature
fix: - Bug fix
docs: - Documentation changes
refactor: - Code refactoring
test: - Adding tests
chore: - Build process, dependencies

Push to your fork

git push origin feature/your-feature-name

Create a Pull Request

Go to the 1Code repository
Click Pull Requests → New Pull Request
Select your fork and branch
Fill out the PR template:
- Clear title describing the change
- Detailed description of what and why
- Screenshots/videos for UI changes
- Testing steps
- Related issues (if any)

Respond to feedback

The maintainers will review your PR and may request changes. Be patient and responsive to feedback.

PR Guidelines

Good PRs:

Focus on a single feature or fix
Include tests if applicable
Update documentation if needed
Have descriptive titles and descriptions
Include screenshots for UI changes
Pass all CI checks

What to avoid:

Mixing multiple unrelated changes
Breaking changes without discussion
Reformatting large amounts of existing code
Adding dependencies without justification
Changing build configuration unnecessarily

Open Source vs Hosted Version

1Code has both an open-source version and a hosted version at 1code.dev. Understand the differences:

Feature	Open Source	Hosted (1code.dev)
Local AI chat	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Claude Code integration	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Git worktrees	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Terminal	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Sign in / Sync	❌ No	✅ Yes
Background agents	❌ No	✅ Yes
Auto-updates	❌ No	✅ Yes
Private Discord & support	❌ No	✅ Yes
Early access to features	❌ No	✅ Yes

Contributing guidelines:

Core features should work in open source
Backend-dependent features (sync, background agents) are closed source
Document when a feature requires 1code.dev subscription
Don’t add telemetry or tracking that’s enabled by default

Analytics & Telemetry

Analytics (PostHog) and error tracking (Sentry) are disabled by default in open source builds. They only activate if environment variables are set in .env.local:

POSTHOG_API_KEY=your_key
SENTRY_DSN=your_dsn

When adding telemetry:

Always make it opt-in for open source
Document what data is collected
Respect user privacy
Never collect code, credentials, or personal data

Community Guidelines

Communication

Be respectful - Treat everyone with kindness and respect
Be patient - Maintainers are volunteers with limited time
Be constructive - Focus on solutions, not problems
Be clear - Provide context, steps to reproduce, and examples

Where to Discuss

Discord

Real-time chat with the community

GitHub Issues

Bug reports and feature requests

GitHub Discussions

Questions, ideas, and general discussion

Twitter/X

Updates and announcements

Getting Help

If you’re stuck:

Check the documentation
Search existing issues
Ask in Discord
Create a GitHub Discussion

For bugs, always create an issue with:

Clear description
Steps to reproduce
Expected vs actual behavior
Environment (OS, version, build type)
Logs or screenshots

License

1Code is licensed under the Apache License 2.0. This means you can:

Use the code commercially
Modify the code
Distribute the code
Use it privately
Grant patent rights

You must:

Include the license and copyright notice
State changes you make
Include the NOTICE file if one exists

You cannot:

Hold the authors liable
Use trademarks without permission

Recognition

Contributors are recognized in:

GitHub contributors page
Release notes (for significant contributions)
The project README

Questions?

Not sure about something? Ask!

Discord: discord.gg/8ektTZGnj4
GitHub Discussions: github.com/21st-dev/1code/discussions
Email: support@21st.dev

Thank you for contributing to 1Code! 🎉

Help

Community

Documentation Index

​Welcome Contributors!

​Ways to Contribute

Report Bugs

Request Features

Submit Code

Improve Docs

​Getting Started

​Prerequisites

​Development Setup

​Development Commands

​Project Structure

​Key Files

​Making Changes

​Creating a Feature Branch

​Code Style

​Database Changes

​Testing Your Changes

​Submitting a Pull Request

​PR Guidelines

​Open Source vs Hosted Version

​Analytics & Telemetry

​Community Guidelines

​Communication

​Where to Discuss

Discord

GitHub Issues

GitHub Discussions

Twitter/X

​Getting Help

​License

​Recognition

​Questions?

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Welcome Contributors!

Ways to Contribute

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Development Setup

Development Commands

Project Structure

Key Files

Making Changes

Creating a Feature Branch

Code Style

Database Changes

Testing Your Changes

Submitting a Pull Request

PR Guidelines

Open Source vs Hosted Version

Analytics & Telemetry

Community Guidelines

Communication

Where to Discuss

Getting Help

License

Recognition

Questions?