Contributing Guidelines

How to Contribute

Thank you for your interest in improving the Private Comments plugin. We welcome contributions from the community, whether they are bug reports, feature requests, or code improvements.

Reporting Bugs

If you encounter a bug or unexpected behavior, please check the existing issues to see if it has already been reported. If not, please open a new issue and include the following:

• A clear and descriptive title.
• Steps to reproduce: Describe the exact steps taken to encounter the issue.
• Expected behavior: What you expected to happen.
• Actual behavior: What actually happened (include screenshots if applicable).
• Environment details: Your WordPress version, PHP version, and any other relevant active plugins.

Feature Requests

We are always looking for ways to improve the plugin. If you have an idea for a new feature, please submit an issue labeled "Enhancement." Provide as much detail as possible about the use case and how the feature should function.

Development Workflow

If you would like to contribute code or documentation, please follow this workflow:

1. Fork the Repository: Create a personal fork of the project on GitHub.
2. Clone the Fork: Download the repository to your local development environment.

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/wp-private-comments.git
   

3. Create a Branch: Always create a new branch for your work. Use a descriptive name.

   git checkout -b feature/my-new-feature
   # OR
   git checkout -b fix/issue-description
   

4. Implement Changes: Make your changes, ensuring you follow WordPress Coding Standards.
5. Commit: Write clear, concise commit messages.

   git commit -m "Brief description of the change"
   

Submitting a Pull Request

Once your changes are ready, submit a Pull Request (PR) for review:

1. Push your branch to your GitHub fork:

   git push origin your-branch-name
   

2. Navigate to the original repository and click New Pull Request.
3. Ensure the PR description clearly explains the changes you've made and links to any relevant issues (e.g., Closes #123).
4. The maintainers will review your code and may request changes or suggest improvements before merging.

Coding Standards

To maintain code quality and consistency with the WordPress ecosystem, please ensure:

• Your code adheres to WordPress PHP Coding Standards.
• Any new functions or hooks are properly documented using PHPDoc tags.
• Logic remains focused on the primary goal: restricting comment visibility to authorized roles.