Here are some best practices to increase the chances of your open-source pull requests getting accepted by maintainers:
Before you start coding:
- Read the project's contribution guidelines. These will outline the coding standards, preferred commit message formats, and other project-specific details.
- Communicate your intentions. Open an issue or start a discussion before you start working on a large or complex change. This allows maintainers to provide feedback and ensure your work aligns with the project's goals.
- Choose the right branch. Ensure you're working on and targeting the appropriate branch for your pull request.
- Understand the codebase. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the project's code, structure, and design patterns before making changes.
While coding:
- Keep it small and focused. Smaller pull requests are easier to review and less likely to introduce bugs. Aim to address a single issue or feature per pull request.
- Write clear and concise commit messages. Follow the project's conventions for commit messages and provide enough context for reviewers to understand your changes.
- Test your code thoroughly. Include unit tests and ensure your changes don't break existing functionality.
- Document your changes. Explain the purpose of your code changes, especially if they're not immediately obvious.
Creating the pull request:
- Write a descriptive title and summary. Clearly state the purpose of your pull request and provide a brief overview of the changes.
- Link to relevant issues or discussions. If your pull request addresses a specific issue or is related to a previous discussion, make sure to include links.
- Follow the pull request template. If the project provides a pull request template, use it to ensure you provide all the necessary information.
- Review your own code before submitting. Catch any typos, formatting issues, or minor errors before others do.
After submitting:
- Be responsive to feedback. Address any questions or concerns raised by reviewers in a timely manner.
- Be willing to make changes. If maintainers suggest modifications, be open to making the necessary adjustments to your code.
- Be patient. It can take time for maintainers to review pull requests, especially for popular projects.