add CONTRIBUTING.md

Author: cpanato

CONTRIBUTING.md

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+# Contributing
+
+First off, thanks for taking the time to contribute!
+
+## Steps to Contribute
+
+This project uses GitHub to manage reviews of pull requests.
+
+* If you have a trivial fix or improvement, go ahead and create a pull request
+
+* If you plan to do something more involved, first create an issue to discuss your ideas
+
+* Should you wish to work on an issue, please claim it first by commenting on the GitHub issue that you want to work on it. This is to prevent duplicated efforts from contributors on the same issue.
+
+## Pull Request Checklist
+
+* Start by forking the project, and then create a feature branch from the master branch for your feature.
+
+* If needed, rebase to the current master branch before submitting your pull request. If it doesn't merge cleanly with master you may be asked to rebase your changes.
+
+* Commits should be as small as possible, while ensuring that each commit is correct independently (i.e., each commit should compile and pass tests).
+
+* Add tests relevant to the fixed bug or new feature.