check-list_for_table_contributors.mdwn

[[!meta title="Check-list for table contributors"]] [[!meta date="Wed Jun 25 05:57:46 BST 2014"]] [[!tag documentation]]

Thanks for wanting to submit a new table or a correction/improvement to an existing table. To ensure the increasing quality of the table in the project, we would value if you could go through the following check-list before submitting your table.

1. If it is a new table, and an existing table for your language already exists, why your submission is a new table rather than a modification. I.e. is it because it supports a different braille grade? If you are submitting a table rewrite then this falls under point 7.

2. The file is encoded in Unicode (UTF-8 without BOM).

3. The table does not unnecessarily include common definitions, just use an include line for example:

   include digits6Dots.uti 
   include latinLetterDef6Dots.uti
   

   See tables/*.uti.

4. If you need a variation of an existing defined block, you should include and override the few exceptions:

   ...
   # define w prior to the included definition so that it is overwridden.
   uplow Ww 23456
   include latinLetterDef6Dots.uti
   ...
   

   Obviously it is a judgement call how many to override and when to just define the entire block, this is related to how many opcodes needs overriding and the size of the included block.

5. If the common definitions do not match your needs, make sure you include a comment that explains how your definitions are different from any of the existing pre defined blocks, The comment doesn't have to be very detailed, just enough to show a concious action of evaluating the existing blocks have been defined but found not to be suitable.

6. If you are submitting a new table, please ensure you also submit a [[minimum set of tests for the table|minimum_set_of_tests_for_a_table]].

7. If you are submitting a change/enhancement/addition to an existing table, you should also submit tests to cover these alterations.