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CONTRIBUTING.md

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+# Contributing to Modaic
+## Finding an Issue to Work On
+- Check the [issues](https://github.com/modaic-ai/modaic/issues) page for open issues.
+- If you are new to the project, start with the [good first issue](https://github.com/modaic-ai/modaic/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22good+first+issue%22) label.
+- Also check the [help wanted](https://github.com/modaic-ai/modaic/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22help+wanted%22) label for issues that are more complex but still manageable.
+- If you have questions about an issue, ask in the comments.
+- If you want to work on an issue, comment on the issue that you will work on it.
+- If you have already started working on an issue, let us know in the comments.
+
+## Setting up the Development Environment
+- First, fork the repository and clone it locally. 
+- We use [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/) to manage the dependencies. Refer to the site for installation instructions. 
+- Then install the development dependencies with the following command:
+```bash
+cd modaic
+uv sync --dev
+```
+
+## Code Style and Formatting
+**Comments**
+
+Include docstrings for all public functions and classes.
+Do not use # comments unless they are prefixed with a code tag and are necessary for the code to be understandable. We use the following code tags:
+- `# CAVEAT:` - A heads-up that there’s something tricky or non-obvious here that the reader should keep in mind.
+- `# NOTE:` - A note to the reader offering some necessary context.
+- `# TODO:` - Something needs to be done.
+- `# DOCME:` - Needs to be documented.
+- `# BUG:` - Something is wrong.
+- `# FIXME:` - Something needs to be fixed.
+- `# HACK:` - A temporary ugly workaround solution that is hacky and should be changed.
+To get the most use out of code tags, I recommend you install the [TODO Tree Extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Gruntfuggly.todo-tree)
+
+**Formatting**
+
+We use the ruff linter/formatter to check for code style and formatting. It is installed with the dev dependencies. To use it, install the [Ruff Extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=charliermarsh.ruff) on VSCode. Make sure your VSCode python interpreter is set to the python path in the `.venv` created by uv. You can change it by pressing `Ctrl+Shift+P` on windows and `Cmd+Shift+P` on Mac and typing `Python: Select Interpreter`. You should see one named `.venv`. This will ensure the formatter rules match the modaic specific formatting.
+
+When working with ruff, you may find these settings useful for auto-formatting code. You can add these to your VSCode user settings. (cmd + shift + p -> "Preferences: Open Workspace Settings (JSON)")
+```json
+  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
+  "ruff.path": ["ruff"],
+  "[python]": {
+    "editor.defaultFormatter": "charliermarsh.ruff",
+    "editor.formatOnSave": true,
+    "editor.codeActionsOnSave": {
+      "source.fixAll": "explicit"
+    }
+  }
+```
+
+## Contributing to the Documentation
+- Follow instructions for setting up the local development environment [above](#setting-up-the-development-environment). 
+- Next ensure you have [node](https://nodejs.org/en/download/) installed. 
+- Install the node dependencies for the documentation.
+```bash
+npm install
+```
+- To run the documentation locally with live reload, run the following command:
+```bash
+npm run dev
+```
+- To build the documentation, run the following command:
+```bash
+npm run build
+```