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Contributing to WinFindGrep

We welcome contributions to WinFindGrep!

How to Contribute

  • Reporting Bugs: Please open an issue on our GitHub Issues page.
  • Suggesting Enhancements: Open an issue to discuss your ideas.
  • Code Contributions:
    1. Fork the repository.
    2. Create a new branch (git checkout -b feature/YourFeature).
    3. Make your changes.
    4. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some feature').
    5. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/YourFeature).
    6. Open a Pull Request.

Development Setup

If you wish to contribute code or build WinFindGrep from source, here's how to set up your development environment:

Prerequisites:

  • A Windows operating system.
  • An IDE that supports .NET development, such as:
    • JetBrains Rider (Recommended)
    • Visual Studio
  • .NET 9.0 SDK (as the application is built with C# and .NET 9.0 using Windows Forms).

Building the Application:

  1. Get the Source Code:

    • Fork the WinFindGrep repository to your GitHub account.
    • Clone your forked repository to your local machine: 
      git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/WinFindGrep.git
    • Alternatively, you can download the source code archive directly from GitHub.

  2. Open and Build the Project:

    • Open the WinFindGrep.sln solution file in JetBrains Rider or Visual Studio.
    • Build the solution. This will restore any necessary NuGet packages and compile the application.

  3. Running for Development:

    • You should be able to run the application directly from your IDE for testing and development purposes.

  4. Creating a Standalone Executable (for testing a release-like build):

    • If you want to create a standalone .exe similar to the official releases, use the "Publish" feature in your IDE.
    • Key settings for publishing typically include:
      • Deployment Mode: Self-contained (to include the .NET runtime).
      • File Publish Options: Produce single file (to bundle everything into one .exe).

We encourage you to follow existing code style and patterns. If you're introducing a new feature or a significant change, please consider opening an issue first to discuss your ideas!