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Contributing

Source: .github/CONTRIBUTING.md

Thank you for your interest in contributing to pkgmkr. This guide describes the expected workflow for reporting issues and submitting changes to this R package.

Reporting Bugs

Before opening an issue, please check whether the behavior is already documented or reported in the issue tracker. A useful bug report should include:

  • Your operating system and R version, from sessionInfo().
  • The installed pkgmkr version.
  • The smallest reproducible example that triggers the problem.
  • The full error, warning, or unexpected output.
  • Any relevant package-development context, such as whether you were working in RStudio, a temporary directory, or an existing package project.

Small reproducible examples are especially valuable because pkgmkr creates package structures on disk. Please use tempdir() or another disposable path when possible.

Development Setup

Clone the repository, then install the package dependencies from R:

install.packages(c(
  "available",
  "configr",
  "desc",
  "fs",
  "pkgdown",
  "roxygen2",
  "testthat",
  "usethis",
  "withr"
))

Install the local package in development mode with:

pak::pak(".")

If pak is not available, devtools::install() is also fine.

Making Changes

Please keep changes focused. A pull request that fixes one behavior, updates the matching tests, and refreshes the relevant documentation is easier to review than one that mixes unrelated cleanup with functional changes.

For exported functions:

  • Update roxygen comments in R/.
  • Run roxygen2::roxygenise() to refresh NAMESPACE and files in man/.
  • Add or update examples when they can run safely in a temporary directory.
  • Add focused tests under tests/testthat/.

When changing behavior that creates files or directories, prefer tests that use withr::local_tempdir(). This keeps checks isolated and avoids leaving package artifacts in a contributor’s working directory.

Checking

Before submitting a pull request, run:

devtools::test()
devtools::check()

The package should pass R CMD check without errors, warnings, or unexpected notes. If a note is unavoidable, describe why in the pull request.

Documentation

Documentation changes should be made in the source files where possible:

  • Function documentation belongs in roxygen comments under R/.
  • Package articles belong under vignettes/ or the pkgdown article directory already used by the project.
  • User-facing changes should be reflected in README.md when appropriate.
  • Release-facing changes should be noted in NEWS.md.

Pull Requests

Open a pull request from a topic branch and include:

  • A short summary of the change.
  • The issue number, if the pull request fixes an existing issue.
  • The checks you ran.
  • Any intentional limitations or follow-up work.

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the same license as pkgmkr.