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πŸ“[Docs]: Standardize Documentation and Contributing WorkflowΒ #819

@sheikhlimon

Description

@sheikhlimon

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Issue Description

The current documentation in the community/ folder and the README is fragmented and includes outdated instructions (Python backend guides, multiple scattered linting guides, etc.). To improve contributor onboarding and maintainability, we should standardize the structure of README and contributing guides.

Suggested Change

  1. Centralize Documentation in community/ folder

    • Keep only essential guides:
      • contributing-guidelines.md (merged with linting, formatting, and setup info)
      • understand-eslint.md (optional, detailed linting guide if needed)
    • Remove index.md -> I think there is a component for this
    • Remove our-documentation -> Can't see much need for this
  2. README should be high-level and clean

    • Focus on:
      • Project overview
      • Badges, website link, contributors
      • Quick start instructions (clone β†’ install β†’ start dev server)
      • Tech stack overview
      • Links to detailed docs (Contributing Guidelines, ESLint guide)
    • include Docker instructions
    • Avoid duplicating detailed setup instructions; link to contributing guide.
  3. Contributing Guidelines should contain full developer workflow

    • Clone, branch creation, install dependencies
    • Development commands, linting, formatting, type checking
    • PR workflow and commit standards
    • Pre-commit hooks (Husky, lint-staged) -> this is not done yet will try to implement this after the eslint config pr gets merged
    • Code style, naming conventions, and branching strategy
  4. Integrate linting and formatting into the contributing guide

    • Include ESLint, Prettier, and TypeScript setup
    • Ensure all instructions are in one place for easy contributor onboarding
  5. Maintain modern, open-source friendly style

    • Flowcharts for branch and PR workflow
    • Markdown tables for commands
    • Links to Discord, newsletter, and other community resources

Proposed Final Structure

  • README.md

  • Project logo, name, tagline

  • Badges (Stars, Forks, PRs, Issues, Contributors)

  • Short project description

  • Quick links: Contributing Guidelines, ESLint/TypeScript guide

  • Quick start (clone, install, start dev server)

  • Tech stack (frameworks, libraries, styling, UI components)

  • Development: Docker dev instructions

  • Footer: Community, newsletter, social media links

  • community/contributing-guidelines.md

  • Title and intro thanking contributors

  • Getting Started: clone, install, start dev server

  • Code Quality & Development Setup: ESLint, Prettier, TypeScript, Husky, npm scripts

  • Branching & PR Workflow: branch naming, PR submission, flowchart

  • Code Style Guidelines: TypeScript + React best practices, naming, branding, commit messages

  • Troubleshooting / common errors

  • Footer: links to Discord/community channels

  • community/understand-eslint.md

  • Detailed ESLint rules explanation

  • Prettier formatting examples

  • How to run lint, fix, typecheck, and format commands

  • Example project directory structure

Rationale

  • README: High-level overview, entry point, links, badges, quick start
  • Contributing Guidelines: Full developer workflow, ESLint/Prettier setup, PR & commit process
  • Optional ESLint doc: Detailed reference for developers

This structure ensures a standard, readable, and beginner-friendly workflow while eliminating outdated instructions and scattered guides.

Urgency

Medium

Record

  • I have read the Contributing Guidelines
  • Are you a GSSOC'25 contributor
  • I want to work on this issue

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