Contributing.txt

🌟 Stella Micro-donation App
Stella is a blockchain-powered platform designed to make charitable giving frictionless. By leveraging the Stellar network, we enable users to send micro-donations with near-zero transaction fees, ensuring that every cent reaches the intended cause.

🛠 Getting Started
Prerequisites
Node.js (v18.x or higher)

Stellar SDK

Git

Installation
Clone the repository:

Bash
git clone https://github.com/YourUsername/stella-app.git
cd stella-app
Install dependencies:

Bash
npm install
Set up Environment Variables:
Create a .env file in the root directory and add your Stellar Testnet credentials:

Code snippet
STELLAR_NETWORK=TESTNET
STELLAR_HORIZON_URL=https://horizon-testnet.stellar.org
# Replace with your testnet keys for local development
TEST_SOURCE_SECRET=SABC123... 
🧪 Local Development: Stellar Testnet
To test your contributions without using real funds, you must use the Stellar Testnet.

Generate a Test Account: Visit the Stellar Laboratory to create a public/private key pair.

Fund your Account: Click "Friendbot" on the Laboratory page to fund your test account with 10,000 test XLM.

Update your .env: Paste your secret key into the TEST_SOURCE_SECRET field.

🤝 How to Contribute
We follow a standard Fork, Branch, and Pull Request workflow to maintain code quality.

1. Fork & Branch
Fork this repo to your account.

Create a branch for your feature: git checkout -b feat/your-feature-name.

2. Implementation
Wallet APIs: Help us optimize how we query balances or encrypt secret keys. Look for issues labeled wallet-service.

Donation APIs: We are currently prioritizing Recurring Donations and Transaction Metadata (to show users exactly where their money goes).

3. Submit your PR
Ensure your code passes linting: npm run lint.

Open a Pull Request against our main branch.

Clearly describe your changes and link the relevant issue: Closes #42.