# Guidance on how to contribute

> All contributions to this project will be released under the CC0 public domain
> dedication. By submitting a pull request or filing a bug, issue, or
> feature request, you are agreeing to comply with this waiver of copyright interest.
> Details can be found in our [TERMS](TERMS.md) and [LICENCE](LICENSE).

There are two primary ways to help:
 - Using the issue tracker, and…
 - Changing the codebase.


## Using the issue tracker

Use the issue tracker to suggest feature requests, report bugs, and ask questions.
This is also a great way to connect with the developers of the project as well
as others who are interested in this solution.

Use the issue tracker to find ways to contribute. Find a bug or a feature, mention in
the issue that you will take on that effort, then follow the _Changing the codebase_
guidance below.


## Changing the codebase

If you are a contributor from outside of CFPB, you should fork this
repository, make changes in your own fork, and then submit a pull request.

If you are a contributor within CFPB, you may also fork, or follow our
[documentation for branching](https://cfpb.github.io/cfgov-refresh/branching-merging/).

For timely code reviews of pull requests, please tag @cfpb/cfgov-backends and
@cfpb/cfgov-frontends as appropriate for your changes.

All new code should have associated unit tests and/or functional tests that
validate implemented features and the presence or lack of defects. The
overall test coverage of the codebase should not decrease.

Python code is expected to follow
[PEP8](https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008/) and
[not commit atrocities](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf-BqAjZb8M).
JavaScript, CSS/Less, and markup should follow our
[front-end standards](https://github.com/cfpb/front-end).
When in doubt, mimic the styles and patterns in the existing codebase.