We develop the Dialogic plugin in the open at GitHub. The main dialogic repository that contains all the code, images, and logic for the plugin, and this documentation is stored in the documentation repository. You will find other repositories such as the Godot 3 version of Dialogic, a test project, a visual novel template, extensions and more.
How to contribute
There are different ways to contribute to Dialogic. You could be a developer, a designer, a writer, or a user who wants to help improve the project. Here are some ways you can contribute:
Reporting bugs
While working on your project, you might encounter a bug or come up with an idea for a new feature that could benefit the Dialogic community. If you believe this improvement or bug fix would be valuable to the majority of users, it is a good candidate for an issue. Dialogic and Godot are designed to be flexible and extensible, so it is better to remain agnostic to specific game requirements. Before creating a new issue, consider the following steps to help us improve Dialogic:
- Search for Similar Issues: Use the search function on GitHub to enter keywords related to your identified issue. This helps you see if someone has already reported it.
- Review Existing Issues: Go through the list of existing issues to check if your issue is already documented. If it is, consider contributing to the discussion or offering to help resolve it instead of creating a new one.
If your issue doesn’t exist, create it by pressing on the "New issue" button or by visiting this page. Remember to describe the issue in detail, including steps to reproduce it if it's a bug, the version of Godot and Dialogic you are using, or explaining why the new feature is beneficial. If it is a bug, it is extremely helpful to include a minimal code example that reproduces the issue, such as a small Godot+Dialogic project demonstrating the problem. This helps maintainers quickly identify the cause of the issue and fix it.
Sure, here’s a more polished section on creating a pull request:
Creating Pull Requests
If you have identified an existing issue and want to contribute a fix or enhancement, follow these steps to create a pull request:
- Fork the Repository: Click the "Fork" button on the top right of the repository page. This will create a copy of the repository in your GitHub account.
- Clone the Repository: Click the "Code" button and copy the URL. Then, in your terminal, run:
git clone <URL> - Create a New Branch: Navigate to the repository directory on your local machine and create a new branch for your changes:
git checkout -b <branch-name> - Make Your Changes: Edit the files in the repository to implement your fix or enhancement.
- Commit Your Changes: Stage and commit your changes with a descriptive message:
git add . git commit -m "Your message here" - Push Your Changes: Push your changes to your forked repository:
git push origin <branch-name> - Create a Pull Request: Go to the repository page on GitHub and click the "New pull request" button. Select the correct branches and provide a detailed description of your changes, referencing the issue you are addressing.
If you find using the terminal challenging, you can also use the GitHub Desktop app or another graphical git client to manage your changes. These tools offer an easier interface for working with git, allowing you to focus more on your contributions rather than command-line operations.
After submitting your pull request, monitor it for any comments or feedback from the project maintainers. If revisions are required, make the necessary changes based on their feedback and push the updates to your branch; your pull request will be automatically updated. Engage politely with reviewers, thank them for their feedback, and ask for clarification if needed. Remember, we are all volunteers working together to improve the project for everyone, so it's important to maintain a positive and collaborative atmosphere.
Answering questions
Answering questions is another valuable way to contribute to the Dialogic community. You can help by participating in our GitHub Discussions page and our Discord server, where users frequently ask questions about using the plugin, troubleshooting issues, or seeking advice on best practices.
Donating
If you like Dialogic and want to support its development, you can donate to the project via Patreon, or Ko-fi. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps to keep the project going!