Skip to content

Contributing to dbt-nexus

Thanks for your interest in contributing to dbt-nexus! This guide will help you get started.

🚀 Quick Start

  1. Fork the repository on GitHub
  2. Clone your fork locally
  3. Create a feature branch for your changes
  4. Make your changes following our guidelines
  5. Test your changes thoroughly
  6. Submit a pull request

📋 Types of Contributions

🐛 Bug Reports

  • Use GitHub Issues with the "bug" label
  • Include reproduction steps and expected vs actual behavior
  • Provide sample data/queries when possible

✨ Feature Requests

  • Use GitHub Issues with the "enhancement" label
  • Describe the use case and proposed solution
  • Consider backward compatibility

📖 Documentation

  • Fix typos, improve clarity, add examples
  • Use the documentation templates in docs/_templates/
  • Follow the Diátaxis framework (tutorials, how-tos, reference, explanations)

🔧 Code Changes

  • Follow dbt best practices
  • Add tests for new functionality
  • Update documentation for changes
  • Maintain backward compatibility when possible

🛠️ Development Setup

Prerequisites

  • dbt Core >= 1.0.0
  • Python 3.8+
  • Snowflake or BigQuery access for testing

Local Development

# Clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/dbt-nexus.git
cd dbt-nexus

# Install development dependencies
pip install -r docs/assets/scripts/requirements.txt

# Generate documentation
python docs/assets/scripts/doc-generator.py --project-root .
python docs/assets/scripts/llm-context-updater.py --project-root .

# Serve documentation locally
cd docs
mkdocs serve

📐 Guidelines

Code Style

  • Use descriptive model and macro names
  • Add inline comments for complex logic
  • Follow dbt naming conventions (snake_case)
  • Include proper configuration blocks

Documentation

  • Write clear, concise descriptions
  • Include usage examples
  • Add troubleshooting sections
  • Tag content appropriately for LLM consumption

Testing

  • Test with sample data before submitting
  • Verify cross-database compatibility
  • Check incremental model behavior
  • Validate performance impact

🔄 Pull Request Process

  1. Create a clear title describing your change
  2. Fill out the PR template with details
  3. Link related issues using keywords (fixes #123)
  4. Request review from maintainers
  5. Address feedback promptly
  6. Ensure CI passes before merge

PR Checklist

  • Code follows style guidelines
  • Tests added for new functionality
  • Documentation updated
  • Breaking changes documented
  • Changelog updated

🏷️ Release Process

Releases follow semantic versioning:

  • Major (X.0.0): Breaking changes
  • Minor (X.Y.0): New features, backward compatible
  • Patch (X.Y.Z): Bug fixes, backward compatible

📞 Getting Help

  • Questions: Use GitHub Discussions
  • Issues: Create a GitHub Issue
  • Community chat: Community Slack

🏆 Recognition

Contributors are recognized in:

  • Release notes
  • README contributors section
  • Special thanks in major releases

📄 License

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the same license as the project (MIT License).

Ready to contribute? Start by checking our good first issues or reviewing our development to-dos!