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CONTRIBUTING.md

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+Contributing to CARLsim 3
+=========================
+
+**Note: This document is a 'getting started' summary for contributing code,
+documentation, testing, and filing issues.**
+
+How to contribute
+-----------------
+
+The preferred workflow for contributing to CARLsim 3 is to fork the
+[main repository](https://github.com/UCI_CARL/CARLsim3) on
+GitHub, clone, and develop on a branch. Steps:
+
+1. Fork the [project repository](https://github.com/UCI_CARL/CARLsim3)
+   by clicking on the 'Fork' button near the top right of the page. This creates
+   a copy of the code under your GitHub user account.
+
+2. Clone your fork of the CARLsim 3 repo from your GitHub account to your local disk:
+
+   ```bash
+   $ git clone git@github.com:YourLogin/CARLsim3.git
+   $ cd CARLsim3
+   ```
+
+3. Create a ``feature`` branch to hold your development changes:
+
+   ```bash
+   $ git checkout -b my-feature
+   ```
+
+   Always use a ``feature`` branch. It's good practice to never work on the ``master`` branch!
+
+4. Develop the feature on your feature branch. Add changed files using ``git add`` and then ``git commit`` files:
+
+   ```bash
+   $ git add modified_files
+   $ git commit
+   ```
+
+   to record your changes in Git, then push the changes to your GitHub account with:
+
+   ```bash
+   $ git push -u origin my-feature
+   ```
+
+5. Go to the GitHub web page of your fork of the CARLsim 3 repo.
+Click the 'Pull request' button to send your changes to the project's maintainers for
+review. This will send an email to the committers.
+
+(If any of the above seems like magic to you, please look up the
+[Git documentation](https://git-scm.com/documentation) on the web, or ask a friend or another contributor for help.)
+
+Pull Request Checklist
+----------------------
+
+We recommended that your contribution complies with the
+following rules before you submit a pull request:
+
+-  Follow the
+   [coding guidelines](https://github.com/UCI-CARL/CARLsim3/wiki/Coding-Conventions-Style-Guide).
+
+-  Use, when applicable, the Google Test framework to test new functionality.
+   You can follow the [Working with Google Test](https://github.com/UCI-CARL/CARLsim3/wiki/Working-with-Google-Test)
+   guidelines if you are unfamiliar with the framework.
+
+-  If your pull request addresses an issue, please use the pull request title
+   to describe the issue and mention the issue number in the pull request description.
+   This will make sure a link back to the original issue is created.
+
+-  All public methods should have informative Doxygen docstrings with sample usages.
+   You can follow the [Working with Doxygen](https://github.com/UCI-CARL/CARLsim3/wiki/Working-with-Doxygen)
+   guidelines if you are unfamiliar with the framework.
+
+-  Please prefix the title of your pull request with `[MRG]` (Ready for
+   Merge), if the contribution is complete and ready for a detailed review.
+   uhAn incomplete contribution -- where you expect to do more work before
+   receiving a full review -- should be prefixed `[WIP]` (to indicate a work
+   in progress) and changed to `[MRG]` when it matures. WIPs may be useful
+   to: indicate you are working on something to avoid duplicated work,
+   request broad review of functionality or API, or seek collaborators.
+   WIPs often benefit from the inclusion of a
+   [task list](https://github.com/blog/1375-task-lists-in-gfm-issues-pulls-comments)
+   in the PR description.
+
+-  All other tests pass when everything is rebuilt from scratch. On
+   Unix-like systems, check with (from the toplevel source folder):
+
+      ```bash
+      $ cd carlsim/tests
+      $ make carlsim_tests
+      $ ./carlsim_tests
+      ```
+
+-  Documentation and high-coverage tests are necessary for enhancements
+   to be accepted.
+
+You can also check for common programming errors with the following
+tools:
+
+
+Filing bugs
+-----------
+We use Github issues to track all bugs and feature requests; feel free to
+open an issue if you have found a bug or wish to see a feature implemented.
+
+It is recommended to check that your issue complies with the
+following rules before submitting:
+
+-  Verify that your issue is not being currently addressed by other
+   [issues](https://github.com/UCI_CARL/CARLsim3/issues?q=)
+   or [pull requests](https://github.com/UCI_CARL/CARLsim3/pulls?q=).
+
+-  Please ensure all code snippets and error messages are formatted in
+   appropriate code blocks.
+   See [Coding Conventions Style Guide](https://github.com/UCI-CARL/CARLsim3/wiki/Coding-Conventions-Style-Guide).
+
+New contributor tips
+--------------------
+
+A great way to start contributing to CARLsim 3 is to pick an item
+from the list of [easy issues](https://github.com/UCI_CARL/CARLsim3/issues?labels=easy)
+in the issue tracker. Resolving these issues allow you to start
+contributing to the project without much prior knowledge. Your
+assistance in this area will be greatly appreciated by the more
+experienced developers as it helps free up their time to concentrate on
+other issues.