Contributing

About Me

Hi! I’m Rahul Roy, the creator of StratusTS. Before we talk about contributing, I want to be completely honest with you.

I’m Not an Expert Developer

Let me be clear from the start: I’m not an expert developer. I’m still learning, growing, and making mistakes along the way. I don’t have decades of experience or a computer science degree from a prestigious university. I’m just someone who loves building things and wanted to solve a problem I was facing.

Because transparency matters. You deserve to know who’s building the tools you might use. Too often in tech, we pretend to know everything and hide our uncertainty. That’s not helpful, and it’s not honest.

I’m building StratusTS because:

I believe in the problem it solves
I’m learning by doing
Good ideas can come from anyone
Open source is about collaboration, not perfection

What This Means for You

You might find bugs. Please report them—I want to fix them.

You might see code that could be better. Please improve it—that’s how we all learn.

You might have ideas I never thought of. Please share them—fresh perspectives make projects better.

You might know patterns I don’t. Please teach me—that’s how I grow as a developer.

Why Build This Anyway?

I built StratusTS because I struggled with the same problems you probably have:

Express projects that turned into spaghetti code
Spending hours deciding how to organize files
Wanting structure without NestJS complexity
Missing Django’s elegance in the TypeScript world

If I’m facing these problems, others probably are too. Even if I’m not an expert, I can work on solutions.

The Learning Journey

This project is my learning journey, made public. Every commit, every feature, every bug fix teaches me something. By open-sourcing it, I’m:

Learning faster through community feedback
Building something useful (hopefully)
Demonstrating that you don’t need to be an expert to contribute to open source

If StratusTS helps even one person build their project faster, it’s worth it.

Contributing is Welcome

Despite my limitations (or perhaps because of them), I genuinely want your help. This project will only get better with more perspectives, more expertise, and more hands on deck.

Whether you’re a:

Seasoned developer who can spot code smells I miss
Beginner who has questions that expose confusing documentation
Designer who can make things look better
Writer who can explain things more clearly
User who has feedback on what works and what doesn’t

Your contribution matters.

Ways to Contribute

The most valuable contribution is using StratusTS and telling me what you think.

Share Your Experience:

What worked well?
What was confusing?
What broke?
What features are missing?

Where to Share:

GitHub Issues - Bug reports
GitHub Discussions - General feedback

2. Report Bugs

Found a bug? That’s actually helpful!

Good Bug Reports Include:

Clear title describing the issue
Steps to reproduce the problem
What you expected to happen
What actually happened
Your environment (OS, Node version, etc.)
Code example if possible

Example:

**Bug: Database connection fails with PostgreSQL**

**Steps to Reproduce:**
1. Configure PostgreSQL in settings.ts
2. Run `npm run dev`
3. See error

**Expected:** Server starts successfully

**Actual:** Error: "Connection refused"

**Environment:**
- OS: macOS 14.1
- Node: v18.17.0
- stratus-ts: v0.1.0

**Code:**
const DATABASE = {
  engine: 'postgre',
  host: process.env.DB_HOST!,
  port: parseInt(process.env.DB_PORT!),
  user: process.env.DB_USER!,
  password: process.env.DB_PASSWORD!,
  database: process.env.DB_NAME!,
};

3. Suggest Features

Have an idea? Let’s hear it!

Good Feature Requests Include:

Clear description of the feature
Why you need it (use case)
How you imagine it working
Example code of how you’d use it

Example:

**Feature Request: Middleware Support**

**Description:**
Add middleware functions that run before controllers, similar to Express middleware.

**Use Case:**
I need to authenticate users before certain routes run. Currently, I have to add auth checks in every controller.

**Proposed API:**
```typescript
route.get('/admin', adminController, [authMiddleware]);
```

**Benefits:**
- Reusable authentication logic
- Cleaner controllers
- Common pattern from Express/Fastify

4. Improve Documentation

Documentation is as important as code.

Ways to Help:

Fix typos and grammar
Clarify confusing sections
Add missing examples
Write tutorials
Translate to other languages

Even small fixes help!

5. Write Code

Ready to contribute code? Awesome!

Getting Started

1. Fork the Repository

# Go to https://github.com/rahulroy0322/StratusTS
# Click "Fork" button in top right

2. Clone Your Fork

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/stratus-ts.git
cd stratus-ts

3. Install Dependencies

pnpm i

4. Create a Branch

git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
# or
git checkout -b fix/bug-description

5. Make Your Changes

Write clean, readable code
Follow existing code style
Add comments where helpful
Test your changes

6. Commit Your Changes

git add .
git commit -m "fix: Add feature

description body of what you did"
# or
git commit -m "fix: description of bug fix"

7. Push to Your Fork

git push origin feature/your-feature-name

8. Open a Pull Request

Go to the original repository
Click “New Pull Request”
Select your fork and appropriate branch to marge
Fill out the PR template
Submit!

Code Guidelines

Code Style:

Use TypeScript strict mode
Follow existing naming conventions
Keep functions small and focused
Use meaningful variable names

Example:

async function createUser(name: string, email: string): Promise<User> {
  // Implementation
}

Testing:

Test your changes manually
Add automated tests (when possible)
Ensure existing tests still pass

Documentation:

Update docs if you change APIs
Add examples for new features
Explain why, not just what

Pull Request Guidelines

Good PRs:

✅ Focus on one thing (one feature or one bug)
✅ Include clear description
✅ Explain the problem being solved
✅ Show before/after examples
✅ Update relevant documentation
✅ Are respectful and constructive

Example PR Description:

## Description
Adds middleware support for route-level authentication.

## Problem
Currently, authentication checks must be added in every controller, leading to code duplication.

## Solution
Implements middleware functions that run before controllers.

## Usage
```typescript
route.get('/admin', adminController, [authMiddleware]);
```

## Testing
- Tested with authentication middleware
- Existing routes still work
- Error handling works correctly

## Documentation
- Updated routing.mdx
- Added middleware.mdx guide
- Added examples

Avoid:

❌ Massive PRs that change everything
❌ Unclear or vague descriptions
❌ Breaking changes without discussion
❌ Code without explanation

6. Help Others

Contribute by helping other users:

Answer questions in Discussions
Help troubleshoot issues
Share your knowledge
Welcome new contributors

Community support is incredibly valuable!

7. Spread the Word

Help StratusTS reach more people:

⭐ Star the repository
📢 Share on social media
📝 Write blog posts
🎥 Create video tutorials
💬 Tell colleagues about it

Code of Conduct

Be Kind and Respectful

Everyone is welcome here, regardless of:

Experience level
Background
Identity
Beliefs

Expected Behavior:

Be patient with newcomers
Assume good intentions
Give constructive feedback
Celebrate contributions
Treat everyone with respect

Not Acceptable:

Harassment or discrimination
Insulting or aggressive behavior
Spam or trolling
Publishing others’ private information
Any behavior that makes others feel unwelcome

Enforcement

Violations of the code of conduct may result in:

Warning
Temporary ban
Permanent ban

We want this to be a welcoming space for everyone.

Recognition

All contributors are valued and recognized:

Contributors

Every contributor is listed in:

README.md contributors section
GitHub contributors page
Release notes (for significant contributions)

i am asking every if any one know then help me in this process

Types of Contributions

We recognize all contributions:

💻 Code contributions
📖 Documentation improvements
🐛 Bug reports
💡 Feature suggestions
🎨 Design work
💬 Community support
📢 Advocacy and promotion

No contribution is too small! Every improvement matters.

Questions?

Before Contributing

Read this guide
Check existing issues and PRs
Search Discussions for similar topics

Getting Help

Stuck or have questions?

Open a Discussion for general questions
Comment on relevant issues
Ask in your PR

Don’t hesitate to ask for help—we’re/everyone are here to support you!

The Reality of Open Source

Let me share some truths about working on this project:

Progress Isn’t Always Fast
This is a side project. Sometimes life gets busy. Sometimes I’m stuck on a problem. That’s okay.

Not Every Idea Will Be Implemented
Some suggestions won’t fit the project’s goals. That’s not personal—it’s about maintaining focus.

Mistakes Will Happen
I’ll write bugs. I’ll make wrong decisions. When I do, I’ll try to fix them quickly.

Feedback Might Take Time
I’ll try to respond to issues and PRs quickly, but patience is appreciated.

The Journey is Worth It
Despite the challenges, building this project has been incredibly rewarding. Learning, growing, and connecting with others makes it worthwhile.

My Commitment

Here’s what I promise:

I will:

Be honest about limitations
Listen to feedback with an open mind
Admit when I’m wrong
Learn from mistakes
Appreciate every contribution
Keep the project focused on its goals
Maintain a welcoming community

I won’t:

Pretend to know everything
Dismiss feedback without consideration
Make breaking changes lightly
Take contributors for granted
Let the project become complex for complexity’s sake

Thank You

If you’ve read this far, thank you. Whether you contribute code, report a bug, suggest a feature, or simply use StratusTS—you’re part of this project’s story.

Every contribution, no matter how small, makes StratusTS better. Together, we’re building something useful, learning along the way, and hopefully making TypeScript backend development a little bit easier.

I don’t have all the answers, but I’m committed to figuring them out—with your help.

Let’s build something great together! 🚀

Questions? Concerns? Just Want to Chat?

GitHub Issues: Report bugs
GitHub Discussions: Start a conversation

Remember: There are no stupid questions. We all started somewhere.

Documentation Notice: The majority of this documentation was created with assistance from Claude (Anthropic AI) and refined with modifications by Rahul Roy, the project owner. We believe in transparency about our development process.

Contributing

About Me

I’m Not an Expert Developer

Why Am I Sharing This?

What This Means for You

Why Build This Anyway?

The Learning Journey

Contributing is Welcome

Ways to Contribute

1. Use It and Share Feedback

2. Report Bugs

3. Suggest Features

4. Improve Documentation

5. Write Code

Getting Started

Code Guidelines

Pull Request Guidelines

6. Help Others

7. Spread the Word

Code of Conduct

Be Kind and Respectful

Enforcement

Recognition

Contributors

Types of Contributions

Questions?

Before Contributing

Getting Help

The Reality of Open Source

My Commitment

Thank You