Contributing to AUAPW

Thanks for your interest in contributing to AUAPW (All Used Auto Parts Warehouse)! This document covers how to set up the project locally and, most importantly, the Git branching workflow we use for all changes.

Table of Contents

• Getting Started
• Git Branching Workflow
  • git branch — List, create, and delete branches
  • git checkout — Switch branches or restore files
  • git merge — Combine branch histories
  • git rebase — Replay commits onto a new base
• Recommended Workflow
• Commit Message Guidelines
• Submitting a Pull Request

Getting Started

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/ART-LLC/auapw.git
cd auapw

# Install dependencies
npm ci

# Start the dev server
npm run dev

Git Branching Workflow

All work should happen on a feature branch, never directly on main. Below is a reference for the core commands you'll use.

git branch — List, create, and delete branches

# List all local branches (current branch marked with *)
git branch

# List all branches, including remote-tracking branches
git branch -a

# Create a new branch (does NOT switch to it)
git branch feature/login-page

# Rename the current branch
git branch -m feature/login-page-v2

# Delete a branch (safe — refuses if unmerged)
git branch -d feature/login-page

# Force-delete a branch (even if unmerged)
git branch -D feature/login-page

git checkout — Switch branches or restore files

# Switch to an existing branch
git checkout main

# Create a new branch AND switch to it in one step
git checkout -b feature/cart-store

# Switch to a remote branch (creates a local tracking branch)
git checkout -b feature/wishlist origin/feature/wishlist

# Discard local changes to a file (restore from the last commit)
git checkout -- lib/data.ts

Note: Modern Git (2.23+) splits this into git switch (for branches) and git restore (for files). Either approach is fine in this project — checkout still works for both.

git merge — Combine branch histories

# Switch to the branch you want to merge INTO (usually main)
git checkout main

# Merge a feature branch into main
git merge feature/cart-store

# Merge without fast-forward (always creates a merge commit, preserving history)
git merge --no-ff feature/cart-store

# Abort a merge if conflicts get messy
git merge --abort

git rebase — Replay commits onto a new base

# Rebase the current branch onto the latest main (keeps history linear)
git checkout feature/cart-store
git rebase main

# Interactive rebase to squash/edit/reorder the last 3 commits
git rebase -i HEAD~3

# Continue after resolving a conflict during rebase
git rebase --continue

# Abort a rebase and return to the original state
git rebase --abort

When to use which:

Situation	Recommended command
Bringing a shared/public branch up to date	merge
Cleaning up your own feature branch before opening a PR	rebase
Branch other people are also committing to	merge (avoid rebasing)
Want a clean, linear history for review	rebase -i to squash noisy commits

Recommended Workflow

# 1. Sync main
git checkout main
git pull origin main

# 2. Create a feature branch
git checkout -b feature/short-description

# 3. Make changes, then stage and commit
git add .
git commit -m "feat: short description of change"

# 4. Keep your branch up to date with main
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main

# 5. Push your branch
git push origin feature/short-description

# 6. Open a pull request into main

Commit Message Guidelines

We follow a lightweight Conventional Commits style:

• feat: ... — a new feature
• fix: ... — a bug fix
• docs: ... — documentation only changes
• refactor: ... — code change that neither fixes a bug nor adds a feature
• chore: ... — tooling, config, or maintenance changes

Submitting a Pull Request

1. Ensure your branch is rebased on the latest main and there are no conflicts.
2. Run npm run lint and npm run build locally to confirm everything passes.
3. Open a PR with a clear title and description of what changed and why.
4. Link any related issues in the PR description (e.g., Closes #123).
5. Request review and address feedback via additional commits (avoid force-pushing over reviewed commits when possible).

Thank you for contributing! 🚗