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Ways to Contribute

There are many ways to contribute to Cap:
  • Report a bug: Open an issue
  • Suggest a feature: Join our Discord
  • Submit a pull request: Fix bugs or add features
  • Improve documentation: Help make the docs better

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Development Requirements

Before contributing, make sure you have:
  • Node.js 20+
  • Rust 1.88.0+
  • pnpm 8.10.5+ (recommended: 10.5.2)
  • Docker (OrbStack recommended)
See the Development Setup guide for detailed instructions.

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Code Style

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TypeScript/JavaScript

  • Indentation: 2 spaces
  • Formatter: Biome (via pnpm format)
  • Linter: Biome (via pnpm lint)
  • File naming: kebab-case (user-menu.tsx)
  • Components: PascalCase

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Rust

  • Formatter: cargo fmt
  • Linter: Clippy with workspace lints
  • Module naming: snake_case
  • Crate naming: kebab-case

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Critical Rule: No Comments

Never add comments (//, /* */, ///, //!, #) to code. Code must be self-explanatory through naming, types, and structure. This applies to all languages.

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Rust Workspace Lints

All Rust code must respect these workspace-level lints:

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Compiler Lints

  • unused_must_use = "deny" - Always handle Result/Option or types marked #[must_use]

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Clippy Lints (All Denied)

  • dbg_macro - Never use dbg!(); use proper logging
  • let_underscore_future - Never write let _ = async_fn()
  • unchecked_duration_subtraction - Use saturating_sub for Duration
  • collapsible_if - Merge nested if statements
  • clone_on_copy - Don’t call .clone() on Copy types
  • redundant_closure - Use function references directly
  • ptr_arg - Accept &[T] or &str instead of &Vec<T> or &String
  • len_zero - Use .is_empty() instead of .len() == 0
  • let_unit_value - Don’t assign () to a variable
  • unnecessary_lazy_evaluations - Use .unwrap_or(val) for cheap values
  • needless_range_loop - Use for item in &collection
  • manual_clamp - Use .clamp(min, max)

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Testing

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TypeScript/JavaScript

  • Framework: Vitest
  • Location: *.test.ts(x) files near sources
  • Run: pnpm test or pnpm test:web

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Rust

  • Framework: Built-in cargo test
  • Location: src/ or tests/ directory
  • Run per crate: cargo test -p <crate>

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Testing Philosophy

  • Prefer unit tests for logic
  • Light smoke tests for flows
  • No strict coverage requirements yet

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Commit Messages

Use conventional commit style:
  • feat: - New features
  • fix: - Bug fixes
  • improve: - Enhancements to existing features
  • refactor: - Code refactoring
  • docs: - Documentation changes
  • chore: - Maintenance tasks

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Examples

feat: add chapter markers to video player
fix: hide watermark for pro users
improve: optimize video export performance
docs: update API authentication guide

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Pull Request Guidelines

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Before Submitting

  1. Run quality checks: 
    pnpm format
pnpm lint
pnpm typecheck
  2. For Rust changes: 
    cargo fmt
cargo test -p <crate>
  3. Test your changes locally

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PR Content

  • Clear description: Explain what and why
  • Linked issues: Reference related issues
  • Screenshots/GIFs: For UI changes
  • Environment notes: Document any .env changes
  • Migration notes: Document database changes
  • Keep scope tight: One feature/fix per PR

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PR Checklist

Code follows style guidelines
Tests added/updated if needed
Documentation updated if behavior changes
No auto-generated files edited
Database migrations tested

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Development Best Practices

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Do Not

  • Start extra servers (use pnpm dev:web or pnpm dev:desktop)
  • Edit auto-generated files (**/tauri.ts, **/queries.ts, apps/desktop/src-tauri/gen/**)
  • Skip database flow: always db:generate → db:push
  • Commit secrets to VCS
  • Use git commands with -i flag (interactive not supported)

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Do

  • Use existing scripts and Turbo filters
  • Clear .turbo only when necessary
  • Configure via .env from pnpm env-setup
  • Run pnpm format and cargo fmt before committing
  • Keep documentation in sync with code

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Effect.ts Patterns

When working with Effect in API routes: 
import { HttpApiBuilder } from "@effect/platform";
import { Effect } from "effect";

const api = HttpApiBuilder.group(ApiClass, "videos", (endpoints) =>
  endpoints.endpoint("list", {
    handler: () =>
      Effect.gen(function* () {
        const videos = yield* Videos;
        return yield* videos.list();
      }),
  })
);

export const { handler } = apiToHandler(ApiLive);
  • Use Effect.gen for effectful code
  • Acquire services with yield*
  • Translate domain errors to HttpApiError
  • Never call runPromise in route files

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Code Formatting

Always format code before completing work:
pnpm format
cargo fmt

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Getting Help

If you need help:

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Recognition

Contributors are recognized through:
  • GitHub contributors page
  • Open bounties via Algora

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Next Steps

Setup

Set up your development environment

Architecture

Learn about the codebase structure

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