# Contributing to Bharat Seva+

Thank you for considering contributing to **Bharat Seva+**! Your contributions help improve the project and make it better for everyone. Whether you’re reporting an issue, suggesting a feature, submitting code changes, or updating documentation, this guide will help ensure a smooth contribution process.

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## How to Contribute

### 1. Reporting Issues
If you’ve found a bug or want to request a feature:
- **Search existing issues**: Check to see if the issue or feature request already exists.
- **Open a new issue**: If it doesn’t exist, create a new issue using a descriptive title.
- **Provide details**: Include steps to reproduce the bug or describe the feature request in detail.

### 2. Fork the Repository
To make contributions:
- Fork the repository by clicking the **Fork** button at the top.
- Clone your forked repository to your local machine

### 3. Set Up Development Environment
Follow the steps in the README.md to get the project running on your local machine. Ensure the project works before making changes.  

### 4. Create a New Branch
Before making changes, create a new branch off the main branch:
```
git checkout -b <feature-branch-name>
```
- Name the branch based on the feature or issue you're working on, e.g., fix-login-bug or add-appointment-feature.

### 5. Make Your Changes
Follow the project's coding standards.
- Keep your changes focused and avoid unrelated modifications.
- Test your changes locally.
- Ensure your code is linted and formatted consistently (if applicable).
- Take proper screenshots of your improvements, if possible of your changes.


### 6. Write Meaningful Commit Messages
Make sure your commit messages are clear and descriptive:
```
git commit -m "Fix login authentication issue"
```

### 7. Push Your Changes
Push your changes to your forked repository:
```
git push origin <feature-branch-name>
```

### 8. Submit a Pull Request (PR)
Once your changes are ready:
- Go to the original repository.
- Click the Compare & Pull Request button.
- Ensure your PR is based on the main branch, and provide a clear description of your changes on your commit or in description if possible.

### 9. Code Review Process
- The maintainers will review your pull request.
- They might request changes or provide feedback.
- Ensure your PR passes all tests and linting checks (if any).

### 10. Merging the PR
Once your PR is approved, it will be merged into the main repository, and ```hacktoberfest-accepted``` label will be added.  
Congratulations on your contribution! 🎉
