First off, thank you for considering contributing to Nimble Commander! Your support, whether it's reporting a bug, suggesting a feature, or submitting a pull request, is invaluable to this project. The reality is that Nimble Commander is maintained and developed by just one person in their free time, so any meaningful help can make a significant difference.
Bug reports are crucial for making Nimble Commander more reliable and user-friendly, as the tool's versatility means use cases can vary significantly. Known bugs are tracked in the Issues section. Before submitting a new report, please check there to see if the issue has already been reported. If you find your issue is already reported, feel free to add your information to the existing report or subscribe to updates. Otherwise please provide as detailed a description as possible. This includes specifying the versions of Nimble Commander and macOS you're using, along with a step-by-step guide on how to reproduce the issue. Don't hesitate to attach any logs or screenshots if applicable. Please be aware that the resources available for maintaining and further developing this project are quite limited, so not all issues can be addressed quickly.
Your suggestions for modifying existing functionality and introducing new features are appreciated. To ensure these suggestions are effectively considered, please adhere to the following tips:
- Start by ensuring you're using the latest version of Nimble Commander, as your enhancement may already be implemented.
- Review the Discussions and Issues sections to see if your idea has already been suggested.
- If an existing issue matches your suggestion, contribute to that discussion instead of creating a new one.
- Verify your idea aligns with the project's scope and goals.
- It's up to you to present a convincing case highlighting the benefits of this feature to the project's developers, or consider developing the feature yourself for contribution.
- Choose a clear and descriptive title for your suggestion to make the issue easy to identify.
- Provide a detailed, step-by-step explanation of your proposed enhancement.
- Highlight the current behavior, what you expected instead, and why.
- Mention any alternatives that didn't meet your needs.
- Including screenshots can be very helpful to illustrate your points.
- Share why you think this enhancement will benefit most Nimble Commander users.
- If possible, provide examples of this functionality in other applications.
Got experience with Nimble Commander or insights on common questions? Your expertise can make a big difference! Consider lending a hand to fellow users. Whether answering questions, sharing tips, or providing feedback on their projects, your knowledge helps build a supportive and vibrant Nimble Commander community. Visit the Discussions section to start helping today.
Nimble Commander is currently available in two languages—the languages that the original author is fluent in. If you're proficient in another language and interested in helping to make Nimble Commander accessible to more users worldwide, your skills could be invaluable. To participate in translating Nimble Commander into additional languages, please reach out to express your interest.
A single tweet from you can go a long way. You can support this project by sharing information about it. Whether it's mentioning Nimble Commander on forums, submitting reviews, or talking about your experience, every bit of exposure helps.
Contributions to the codebase are greatly appreciated, whether they come in the form of bug fixes, feature implementations, or improvements to existing features. If you're interested in contributing code to Nimble Commander, here's how to get started:
- Look at the build instructions: please refer to the Building document in the repository.
- Discuss Your Ideas: If you have an idea for a new feature or a significant change, it's a good idea to discuss it with the project maintainer first. This can be done through the Issues section or the Discussions forum. Getting feedback early on can save time and ensure that your efforts align with the project's direction.
- Submit a Pull Request: Once you've made your changes and tested them, submit a pull request. Be sure to provide a clear and detailed description of your contributions, including the reasons behind the changes and any additional information that might help review your pull request.