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CONTRIBUTING.md

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Contributing to Feature Highlighter

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Feature Highlighter! This document provides guidelines and instructions for contributing to this project.

Code of Conduct

Please be respectful and constructive in all interactions. We want to maintain a welcoming environment for everyone.

How to Contribute

Reporting Issues

If you find a bug or have a feature suggestion:

  1. Check the existing issues to avoid duplicates
  2. Create a new issue with a clear title and description
  3. Include:
    • Steps to reproduce (for bugs)
    • Expected behavior
    • Actual behavior
    • Visual Studio version
    • Sample .feature file (if applicable)
    • Screenshots (if helpful)

Submitting Pull Requests

  1. Fork the repository and create a new branch from main
  2. Make your changes following our guidelines below
  3. Test thoroughly in Visual Studio 2022
  4. Commit with clear messages describing what and why
  5. Push to your fork and submit a pull request

Development Guidelines

Project Scope

Remember: This extension is focused only on syntax highlighting. Do not add features like:

  • Test generation or execution
  • IntelliSense or autocomplete
  • Step definition navigation
  • Step binding detection
  • Refactoring tools
  • Code actions or quick fixes

If you want these features, contribute to SpecFlow or Reqnroll extensions instead.

Code Style

  • Use C# naming conventions (PascalCase for public members, _camelCase for private fields)
  • Add XML documentation comments for public APIs
  • Keep methods focused and reasonably sized
  • Use nullable reference types appropriately
  • Follow existing code patterns in the project

Testing

Before submitting a PR, test your changes:

  1. Launch Experimental Instance

    • Press F5 in Visual Studio 2022
    • This launches a separate VS instance with your extension loaded

  2. Test with Various Feature Files

    • Test with TestFiles/sample.feature
    • Create feature files with edge cases
    • Test with different Gherkin languages (English, German, French, etc.)

  3. Verify All Syntax Elements

    • Keywords (Feature, Scenario, Given, When, Then, etc.)
    • Comments (lines starting with #)
    • Tags (@tagname)
    • Parameters (, {param}, "string", 'string')
    • Doc strings (""" content """)
    • Tables (| cell | cell |)

  4. Performance Testing

    • Test with large feature files (1000+ lines)
    • Ensure no noticeable lag when scrolling or editing
    • Monitor CPU usage

Multi-Language Support

When adding or modifying keyword detection:

  • Support English, German, French, and Spanish at minimum
  • Use the Reqnroll Gherkin parser's built-in language support
  • Test with feature files in multiple languages
  • Don't hardcode language-specific keywords unnecessarily

Color Schemes

Default colors are optimized for VS Dark Theme:

  • Keywords: #569CD6 (Blue, Bold)
  • Comments: #57A64A (Green, Italic)
  • Tags: #9CDCFE (Light Blue)
  • Parameters: #B8D7A3 (Light Green)
  • Doc Strings: #CE9178 (Tan/Brown)
  • Table Cells: #DCDCAA (Yellow)
  • Table Pipes: #B0B0B0 (Gray)

If proposing color changes:

  • Test with both Dark and Light themes
  • Ensure good contrast and readability
  • Provide screenshots
  • Consider colorblind users

Project Structure

FeatureHighlighter/
├── Classification/
│   ├── GherkinContentTypeDefinition.cs    # Registers .feature content type
│   ├── GherkinClassificationDefinitions.cs # Defines token types
│   ├── GherkinFormatDefinitions.cs         # Defines colors/styles
│   ├── GherkinClassifier.cs                # Main classification logic
│   └── GherkinClassifierProvider.cs        # MEF provider
├── Parser/
│   └── ReqnrollGherkinParserWrapper.cs     # Wraps Gherkin parser
└── Resources/
    ├── icon.png                            # Extension icon
    └── preview.png                         # Preview screenshot

Key Components

  • Content Type Definition: Associates .feature files with "gherkin" content type
  • Classification Definitions: Logical token categories (keyword, comment, etc.)
  • Format Definitions: Visual styles for each token type
  • Classifier: Analyzes text and assigns classifications
  • Parser Wrapper: Uses Reqnroll parser to tokenize Gherkin syntax

Building the Project

Prerequisites

  • Visual Studio 2022 (17.0 or higher)
  • .NET Framework 4.8
  • Visual Studio SDK installed

Build Steps

# Clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/Feature-Highlighter.git
cd Feature-Highlighter

# Open in Visual Studio
start FeatureHighlighter.sln

# Or build from command line
msbuild FeatureHighlighter.sln /p:Configuration=Debug

Debugging

  1. Set FeatureHighlighter as the startup project
  2. Press F5 to launch Experimental Instance
  3. Open a .feature file in the Experimental Instance
  4. Set breakpoints in your code to debug

Pull Request Checklist

Before submitting your PR, ensure:

  • Code builds without errors or warnings
  • Extension loads in VS 2022 Experimental Instance
  • Syntax highlighting works for all Gherkin elements
  • Tested with multiple language variants
  • Tested with large files (performance)
  • No breaking changes to existing functionality
  • Code follows project style guidelines
  • XML documentation added for new public APIs
  • Commits have clear, descriptive messages
  • PR description explains the change and why it's needed

Questions?

If you have questions about contributing:

  • Open a Discussion
  • Comment on a relevant issue
  • Review existing PRs to see how others have contributed

License

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the MIT License.

Thank you for contributing to Feature Highlighter! 🎉