<!--- Copyright (c) 2025, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause -->

## Megatron-Energon OSS Contribution Rules


#### Coding Guidelines

- We recommend to discuss and plan contributions by opening an issue beforehand.

- All source code contributions must strictly adhere to ruff linter and formatter as configured in `pyproject.toml`.
    - You can check those by running `just check`.

- All source code files must include the NVIDIA license header as you can see in `src/megatron/energon/__init__.py`.

- In addition, please follow the existing conventions in the relevant file, submodule, module, and project when you add new code or when you extend/fix existing functionality.

- Avoid introducing unnecessary complexity into existing code so that maintainability and readability are preserved.

- Try to keep pull requests (PRs) as concise as possible:
  - Avoid committing commented-out code.
  - Wherever possible, each PR should address a single concern. If there are several otherwise-unrelated things that should be fixed to reach a desired endpoint, our recommendation is to open several PRs and indicate the dependencies in the description. The more complex the changes are in a single PR, the more time it will take to review those changes.

- Ensure that all tests pass prior to submitting your code.

- All components must contain accompanying documentation in `docs/source`.

- Make sure that you can contribute your work to open source (no license and/or patent conflict is introduced by your code). You will need to [`sign`](#signing-your-work) your commit.


#### Signing Your Work

* We require that all contributors "sign-off" on their commits. This certifies that the contribution is your original work, or you have rights to submit it under the same license, or a compatible license.

  * Any contribution which contains commits that are not Signed-Off will not be accepted.

* To sign off on a commit you simply use the `--signoff` (or `-s`) option when committing your changes:
  ```bash
  $ git commit -s -m "Add cool feature."
  ```
  This will append the following to your commit message:
  ```
  Signed-off-by: Your Name <your@email.com>
  ```

* Full text of the DCO:

  ```
    Developer Certificate of Origin
    Version 1.1
    
    Copyright (C) 2004, 2006 The Linux Foundation and its contributors.
    1 Letterman Drive
    Suite D4700
    San Francisco, CA, 94129
    
    Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.


    Developer's Certificate of Origin 1.1
    
    By making a contribution to this project, I certify that:
    
    (a) The contribution was created in whole or in part by me and I have the right to submit it under the open source license indicated in the file; or
    
    (b) The contribution is based upon previous work that, to the best of my knowledge, is covered under an appropriate open source license and I have the right under that license to submit that work with modifications, whether created in whole or in part by me, under the same open source license (unless I am permitted to submit under a different license), as indicated in the file; or
    
    (c) The contribution was provided directly to me by some other person who certified (a), (b) or (c) and I have not modified it.
    
    (d) I understand and agree that this project and the contribution are public and that a record of the contribution (including all personal information I submit with it, including my sign-off) is maintained indefinitely and may be redistributed consistent with this project or the open source license(s) involved.
  ```
