Essential Documents to Read Before Contributing to an Open-Source Project

If you are considering contributing to an open-source project, there are several documents that you should read and familiarize yourself with beforehand. These documents will give you a better understanding of the project's goals, development practices, and community norms. Here are some of the most important ones:

1. README: This is usually the first document you should read when exploring an open-source project. The README file will give you a brief overview of the project, its purpose, and its current status.

2. CONTRIBUTING: This document outlines the guidelines for contributing to the project. It will explain how to set up your development environment, how to submit changes, and how to communicate with the project maintainers.

3. CODE_OF_CONDUCT: This document sets out the expected behavior for all participants in the project, including contributors, maintainers, and users. It will outline what is and isn't acceptable behavior, and what the consequences will be for violating the code of conduct.

4. LICENSE: This document sets out the terms and conditions under which the project is released. It is important to understand the license before contributing to the project, as it may affect how you can use and distribute the code.

5. ISSUE_TEMPLATE: This document outlines the information that should be included when submitting an issue or bug report. It will help you provide clear and actionable feedback to the project maintainers.

6. PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE: This document outlines the information that should be included when submitting a pull request. It will help you provide clear and actionable feedback to the project maintainers.

By reading and understanding these documents, you will have a better idea of what is expected of you as a contributor, and you will be better equipped to make meaningful contributions to the project.