+ Make sure you have a [JIRA account](https://issues.apache.org/jira/).
+ Make sure you have a [GitHub account](https://github.com/signup/free).
+ If you're planning to implement a new feature it makes sense to discuss you're changes on the [dev list](https://commons.apache.org/mail-lists.html) first. This way you can make sure you're not wasting your time on something that isn't considered to be in Apache Commons Compress's scope.
+ Submit a ticket for your issue, assuming one does not already exist.
+ If you're planning to implement a new feature it makes sense to discuss your changes on the [dev list](https://commons.apache.org/mail-lists.html) first. This way you can make sure you're not wasting your time on something that isn't considered to be in Apache Commons Compress's scope.
+ Submit a [Jira Ticket][jira] for your issue, assuming one does not already exist.
+ Clearly describe the issue including steps to reproduce when it is a bug.
+ Make sure you fill in the earliest version that you know has the issue.
+ Fork the repository on GitHub.
+ Find the corresponding [repository on GitHub](https://github.com/apache/?query=commons-),
[fork](https://help.github.com/articles/fork-a-repo/) and check out your forked repository.
Making Changes
--------------
+ Create a topic branch from where you want to base your work (this is usually the master/trunk branch).
+ Create a _topic branch_ for your isolated work.
* Usually you should base your branch on the `master` or `trunk` branch.
* A good topic branch name can be the JIRA bug id plus a keyword, e.g. `COMPRESS-123-InputStream`.
* If you have submitted multiple JIRA issues, try to maintain separate branches and pull requests.
+ Make commits of logical units.
* Make sure your commit messages are meaningful and in the proper format. Your commit message should contain the key of the JIRA issue.
* e.g. `COMPRESS-123: Close input stream earlier`
+ Respect the original code style:
+ Only use spaces for indentation.
+ Create minimal diffs - disable on save actions like reformat source code or organize imports. If you feel the source code should be reformatted create a separate PR for this change.
+ Check for unnecessary whitespace with git diff --check before committing.
+ Make sure your commit messages are in the proper format. Your commit message should contain the key of the JIRA issue.
+ Make sure you have added the necessary tests for your changes.
+ Create minimal diffs - disable _On Save_ actions like _Reformat Source Code_ or _Organize Imports_. If you feel the source code should be reformatted create a separate PR for this change first.
+ Check for unnecessary whitespace with `git diff` -- check before committing.
+ Make sure you have added the necessary tests for your changes, typically in `src/test/java`.
+ Run all the tests with `mvn clean verify` to assure nothing else was accidentally broken.
Making Trivial Changes
----------------------
The JIRA tickets are used to generate the changelog for the next release.
For changes of a trivial nature to comments and documentation, it is not always necessary to create a new ticket in JIRA.
In this case, it is appropriate to start the first line of a commit with '(doc)' instead of a ticket number.
Submitting Changes
------------------
+ Sign the [Contributor License Agreement][cla] if you haven't already.
+ Sign and submit the Apache [Contributor License Agreement][cla] if you haven't already.
* Note that small patches & typical bug fixes do not require a CLA as
clause 5 of the [Apache License](https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html#contributions)
covers them.
+ Push your changes to a topic branch in your fork of the repository.
+ Submit a pull request to the repository in the apache organization.
+ Submit a _Pull Request_ to the corresponding repository in the `apache` organization.
* Verify _Files Changed_ shows only your intended changes and does not
include additional files like `target/*.class`
+ Update your JIRA ticket and include a link to the pull request in the ticket.
If you prefer to not use GitHub, then you can instead use
`git format-patch` (or `svn diff`) and attach the patch file to the JIRA issue.
