Contributing to Simple Notes Desktop

May 23, 2026 · View on GitHub

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Simple Notes Desktop! 🎉

Table of Contents

Code of Conduct

Please be respectful and considerate in all interactions. We welcome contributors of all skill levels.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 20+
  • pnpm 9+
  • Rust (stable)
  • Platform-specific dependencies (see BUILDING.md)

Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/inventory69/simple-notes-desktop.git
cd simple-notes-desktop

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Start development server
pnpm dev

For detailed build instructions, see BUILDING.md.

Development Workflow

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a branch for your feature or fix: 
    git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature
# or
git checkout -b fix/issue-123
  3. Make your changes
  4. Test your changes locally
  5. Commit with a meaningful message
  6. Push to your fork
  7. Open a Pull Request

Code Style

JavaScript

  • ES6+ with ES-Modules ("type": "module")
  • Formatting & linting are enforced by Biome — run pnpm lint:fix. The config (biome.json) requires: semicolons always, single quotes, trailing commas, 2-space indent, 120-column width, and always-parenthesized arrow params. Imports are auto-organized.
  • Use const/let, never var

Rust

  • Follow standard Rust conventions
  • Run cargo fmt before committing
  • Run cargo clippy to catch common issues

CSS

  • Use CSS custom properties (variables)
  • Follow BEM-like naming for classes
  • Mobile-first approach

Commit Messages

We follow Conventional Commits, kept consistent with the sibling Android app (simple-notes-sync):

<type>(<scope>): <description>

[optional body]

[optional footer]

Types

  • feat: New feature
  • fix: Bug fix
  • docs: Documentation changes
  • style: Code style/formatting only (no behavior change)
  • refactor: Code change that neither fixes a bug nor adds a feature
  • perf: Performance improvement
  • test: Adding or updating tests
  • build: Build system, bundling, packaging (Tauri/Vite/AUR)
  • ci: CI/CD workflows
  • chore: Maintenance (deps, tooling, version bumps)
  • revert: Reverting a previous commit
  • release: Release/version commits (e.g. release: v0.4.0) — mirrors the Android app's usage

Common scopes

Use a scope when it sharpens the message. Scopes seen across both apps: editor, sync, checklist, ui, linux, ci, i18n. Match the affected area; invent a new scope only when the existing ones don't fit.

Examples

feat(editor): add markdown live preview
fix(sync): preserve Android-only note fields (color/labels) on save
fix(linux): present() window on Wayland to fix frozen titlebar
perf(sync): batch PROPFIND to avoid N+1 GETs
docs: update installation instructions
chore: bump version to 0.5.0

Pull Requests

Before Submitting

  • Test your changes locally
  • Run pnpm test to ensure tests pass
  • Update documentation if needed
  • Add tests for new features

PR Description

Please include:

  • What the PR does
  • Why the change is needed
  • How to test it
  • Screenshots (for UI changes)

Review Process

  1. A maintainer will review your PR
  2. Address any requested changes
  3. Once approved, it will be merged

Reporting Issues

Bug Reports

Please include:

  • Operating system and version
  • App version
  • Steps to reproduce
  • Expected vs actual behavior
  • Screenshots or logs if applicable

Feature Requests

Please describe:

  • The problem you're trying to solve
  • Your proposed solution
  • Alternative solutions you've considered

Questions?

Feel free to open an issue for questions or join discussions in existing issues.

Thank you for contributing! 🙏