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Diffstat (limited to 'CONTRIBUTING')
| -rw-r--r-- | CONTRIBUTING | 66 |
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diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING b/CONTRIBUTING index 5373354..4c0f56a 100644 --- a/CONTRIBUTING +++ b/CONTRIBUTING @@ -1,53 +1,58 @@ -Contributing to the tz code and data +# Contributing to the tz code and data + +Please do not create issues or pull requests on GitHub, as the +proper procedure for proposing and distributing patches is via +email as described below. The time zone database is by no means authoritative: governments change timekeeping rules erratically and sometimes with little warning, the data entries do not cover all of civil time before 1970, and undoubtedly errors remain in the code and data. Feel free to fill gaps or fix mistakes, and please email improvements -to tz@iana.org for use in the future. In your email, please give +to <tz@iana.org> for use in the future. In your email, please give reliable sources that reviewers can check. ------ - -Developers can contribute technical changes to the source code and -data as follows. +## Contributing technical changes To email small changes, please run a POSIX shell command like 'diff -u old/europe new/europe >myfix.patch', and attach -myfix.patch to the email. +'myfix.patch' to the email. For more-elaborate or possibly-controversial changes, such as renaming, adding or removing zones, please read -<https://www.iana.org/time-zones/repository/theory.html> or the file -theory.html. It is also good to browse the mailing list archives +"Theory and pragmatics of the tz code and data" +<https://www.iana.org/time-zones/repository/theory.html>. +It is also good to browse the mailing list archives <https://mm.icann.org/pipermail/tz/> for examples of patches that tend to work well. Additions to data should contain commentary citing -reliable sources as justification. Citations should use https: URLs +reliable sources as justification. Citations should use "https:" URLs if available. For changes that fix sensitive security-related bugs, please see the -file SECURITY. +distribution's 'SECURITY' file. -Please submit changes against either the latest release in +Please submit changes against either the latest release <https://www.iana.org/time-zones> or the main branch of the development -repository. The latter is preferred. If you use Git the following -workflow may be helpful: +repository. The latter is preferred. + +## Sample Git workflow for developing contributions + +If you use Git the following workflow may be helpful: * Copy the development repository. - git clone https://github.com/eggert/tz.git - cd tz + git clone https://github.com/eggert/tz.git + cd tz * Get current with the main branch. - git checkout main - git pull + git checkout main + git pull * Switch to a new branch for the changes. Choose a different branch name for each change set. - git checkout -b mybranch + git checkout -b mybranch * Sleuth by using 'git blame'. For example, when fixing data for Africa/Sao_Tome, if the command 'git blame africa' outputs a line @@ -60,36 +65,33 @@ workflow may be helpful: * Debug the changes, e.g.: - make check - make install - ./zdump -v America/Los_Angeles + make check + make install + ./zdump -v America/Los_Angeles * For each separable change, commit it in the new branch, e.g.: - git add northamerica - git commit + git add northamerica + git commit See recent 'git log' output for the commit-message style. - * Create patch files 0001-*, 0002-*, ... + * Create patch files 0001-..., 0002-..., ... - git format-patch main + git format-patch main - * After reviewing the patch files, send the patches to tz@iana.org + * After reviewing the patch files, send the patches to <tz@iana.org> for others to review. - git send-email main + git send-email main For an archived example of such an email, see + "[PROPOSED] Fix off-by-1 error for Jamaica and T&C before 1913" <https://mm.icann.org/pipermail/tz/2018-February/026122.html>. * Start anew by getting current with the main branch again (the second step above). -Please do not create issues or pull requests on GitHub, as the -proper procedure for proposing and distributing patches is via -email as illustrated above. - ----- This file is in the public domain. |