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Contributing to Bitmark

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Bitmark!

Ways to Contribute​

Code​

  • Fix bugs
  • Implement features
  • Improve performance
  • Write tests

Documentation​

  • Fix typos
  • Improve explanations
  • Add examples
  • Translate content

Community​

  • Answer questions
  • Report bugs
  • Suggest features
  • Spread the word

Getting Started​

1. Set Up Development Environment​

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/project-bitmark/bitmark.git
cd bitmark

# Install dependencies (Ubuntu)
sudo apt-get install -y \
  build-essential \
  libtool \
  autotools-dev \
  automake \
  pkg-config \
  libssl-dev \
  libevent-dev \
  bsdmainutils \
  libboost-all-dev \
  libsodium-dev

# Build
./autogen.sh
./configure
make -j$(nproc)

# Run tests
make check

2. Find Something to Work On​

  • Browse open issues
  • Look for good first issue labels
  • Check the project roadmap
  • Ask in community channels

3. Make Your Changes​

# Create a branch
git checkout -b feature/my-improvement

# Make changes
# ...

# Run tests
make check

# Commit
git add .
git commit -m "Add feature X"

Coding Guidelines​

C++ Style​

Follow Bitcoin Core style:

// Good
class MyClass
{
public:
    void DoSomething();

private:
    int m_value;
};

void MyClass::DoSomething()
{
    if (m_value > 0) {
        // Code here
    }
}

Naming Conventions​

TypeConventionExample
ClassesPascalCaseBlockHeader
FunctionsPascalCaseGetBlockHash()
VariablescamelCaseblockHeight
Membersm_ prefixm_nVersion
ConstantsALL_CAPSMAX_BLOCK_SIZE

Comments​

// Single line comments for brief explanations

/**
 * Multi-line comments for functions.
 *
 * @param[in] param Description of input parameter
 * @param[out] result Description of output
 * @return Description of return value
 */

Pull Request Process​

1. Before Submitting​

  • Code compiles without warnings
  • All tests pass
  • New code has tests
  • Documentation updated
  • Commit messages are clear

2. Create Pull Request​

  1. Push your branch:

    git push origin feature/my-improvement

  2. Open PR on GitHub

  3. Fill in the template:

    • Description of changes
    • Related issues
    • Testing performed

3. Review Process​

  • Maintainers review your code
  • Address feedback promptly
  • Be open to suggestions
  • Squash commits if requested

4. After Merge​

  • Delete your branch
  • Update local main: 
    git checkout main
    git pull origin main

Commit Messages​

Format:

component: Short description (50 chars max)

Longer description if needed. Wrap at 72 characters.
Explain what and why, not how.

Fixes #123

Examples:

consensus: Add Surge Protector difficulty adjustment

Prevents single algorithm from dominating chain by
reducing difficulty after 9 consecutive same-algo blocks.

Fixes #456
wallet: Fix balance calculation for unconfirmed tx

Previously unconfirmed change was counted twice.

Testing​

Running Tests​

# All tests
make check

# Specific test
./src/test/test_bitmark --run_test=block_tests

# Fork tests
cd src/test/fork_tests
./run_tests.sh

Writing Tests​

BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(my_test)
{
    // Setup
    CBlock block;

    // Exercise
    bool result = block.IsValid();

    // Verify
    BOOST_CHECK(result == true);
}

Documentation Contributions​

This Documentation Site​

# Clone docs repo
git clone https://github.com/project-bitmark/docs.git
cd docs

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Run locally
npm start

# Make changes to docs/ folder
# Submit PR

Wiki​

Edit directly on GitHub:

  1. Go to wiki page
  2. Click Edit
  3. Make changes
  4. Save

Reporting Issues​

Bug Reports​

Include:

  1. Bitmark version
  2. Operating system
  3. Steps to reproduce
  4. Expected behavior
  5. Actual behavior
  6. Log output (~/.bitmark/debug.log)

Feature Requests​

Include:

  1. Problem description
  2. Proposed solution
  3. Alternatives considered
  4. Impact assessment

Security Issues​

Do not open public issues for security vulnerabilities!

Email security concerns to the maintainers privately. See SECURITY.md in the repository.

Community​

Channels​

Code of Conduct​

  • Be respectful
  • Be constructive
  • Be patient
  • Focus on the project

Recognition​

Contributors are recognized in:

  • Release notes
  • Contributors file
  • Community acknowledgments

License​

Contributions are licensed under MIT License. By contributing, you agree to this licensing.

Need Help?​

  • Ask in GitHub Discussions
  • Join community channels
  • Read existing documentation
  • Check closed issues for similar questions