Contributing to MATLAB Slash Commands

March 25, 2026 ยท View on GitHub

This document provides guidelines and instructions for contributing to MATLAB Slash Commands.

Code of Conduct

We follow the MathWorks Community Guidelines. Please be respectful, inclusive, and professional in all interactions.

How to Contribute

Reporting Issues

  1. Check existing issues first to avoid duplicates
  2. Use issue templates when available
  3. Provide detailed information:
    • Claude Code version
    • MATLAB version
    • Steps to reproduce
    • Expected vs actual behavior
    • Error messages if any

Suggesting Enhancements

  1. Open a discussion first for major changes
  2. Describe the use case and why it's valuable
  3. Consider compatibility with existing commands
  4. Provide examples of how it would work

Contributing Code

Getting Started

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Clone your fork:
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/slash-commands.git
cd slash-commands
  1. Create a feature branch:
git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

Adding a New Command

  1. Use the command template:
cp templates/command-template.md commands/category/matlab-yourcommand.md
  1. Follow the command structure:
---
name: matlab-commandname
description: Brief description (50 chars max)
category: [core|testing|quality|development]
parameters:
  - name: param1
    description: Parameter description
    required: false
tags: [matlab, relevant, tags]
related_prompts:
  - github.com/matlab/prompts/path/to/prompt
---

# /matlab-commandname

[Command content following template structure]
  1. Register in marketplace.json (the authoritative command registry): Edit .claude-plugin/marketplace.json to add your command path to the commands array:
"./commands/category/matlab-yourcommand.md"
  1. Write documentation:
  • Clear purpose and use cases
  • Detailed instructions
  • Multiple examples
  • Edge cases and error handling
  • Expected output format
  1. Test your command:
  • Verify it works in Claude Code
  • Test with various inputs
  • Ensure error messages are helpful
  • Check performance with large inputs

Cross-Agent Formats

When adding a new command, consider whether it should also be available in other formats:

  1. Copilot prompt file: If the command is generally useful, create a simplified .prompt.md version in copilot/prompts/. Copilot prompts should be under 200 lines with description frontmatter only.

  2. Cursor rules: If the command introduces new MATLAB best practices, update cursor/rules/matlab-development.mdc to include those practices.

  3. MCP awareness: If the command can benefit from live MATLAB execution, add an ## MCP Integration section using the pattern in templates/command-template.md.

See scripts/convert-to-copilot.sh and scripts/convert-to-cursor.sh for guidance.

Improving Existing Commands

  1. Maintain backward compatibility
  2. Document breaking changes clearly
  3. Add tests for new functionality
  4. Update examples if behavior changes

Command Guidelines

Command Naming

  • Use format: matlab-verb or matlab-noun
  • Keep names concise and descriptive
  • Use lowercase with hyphens
  • Examples: matlab-test, matlab-optimize

Command Content

  1. Task Section:

    • Define the role clearly
    • State the objective
    • Set expectations

  2. Instructions Section:

    • Step-by-step process
    • Code examples with comments
    • Multiple approaches when applicable
    • Best practices and anti-patterns

  3. Output Section:

    • Specify exact output format
    • Include examples of generated code
    • Define success criteria

MATLAB Best Practices

  • Follow MATLAB Style Guidelines
  • Use vectorization over loops when possible
  • Include proper error handling
  • Add input validation
  • Provide meaningful variable names
  • Comment complex algorithms

Testing

Manual Testing Checklist

  • Command loads without errors
  • Generates expected output for basic input
  • Handles edge cases appropriately
  • Error messages are informative
  • Performance is acceptable
  • Documentation examples work

Test Scenarios

Create test scenarios in examples/ showing:

  • Basic usage
  • Advanced features
  • Error conditions
  • Performance considerations

Documentation

Required Documentation

  1. Command file: Complete markdown with examples
  2. README update: Add to command list if new
  3. Example workflow: Show integration with other commands
  4. Changelog entry: Document your changes

Documentation Style

  • Use clear, concise language
  • Provide code examples for everything
  • Include both simple and advanced usage
  • Explain the "why" not just the "how"
  • Keep examples realistic and practical

Pull Request Process

  1. Before submitting:

    • Test all changes thoroughly
    • Update documentation
    • Check for merge conflicts
    • Run through the testing checklist

  2. PR Description:

    ## Summary
Brief description of changes

## Type of Change
- [ ] Bug fix
- [ ] New command
- [ ] Command enhancement
- [ ] Documentation update

## Changes Made
- Detail 1
- Detail 2

## Testing
- How you tested
- Test scenarios covered

## Checklist
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] Examples provided
- [ ] Plugin.json updated (if applicable)
- [ ] Backward compatible

  3. Review process:

    • PRs require at least one review
    • Address feedback constructively
    • Keep PRs focused and atomic
    • Update based on review comments

Version Guidelines

We follow Semantic Versioning (SemVer):

  • Major (X.0.0): Breaking changes
  • Minor (0.X.0): New features, backward compatible
  • Patch (0.0.X): Bug fixes

Development Environment

  • Claude Code (latest version)
  • MATLAB R2019b or later
  • Git for version control
  • Text editor with Markdown support

Useful Tools

  • MATLAB Code Analyzer (mlint)
  • MATLAB Profiler for performance
  • Git hooks for pre-commit checks

Getting Help

  • Questions: Open a discussion
  • Bugs: Create an issue
  • Ideas: Start a discussion
  • MATLAB Help: MATLAB Answers

Recognition

Contributors will be:

  • Listed in CONTRIBUTORS.md
  • Mentioned in release notes
  • Given credit in relevant documentation

Release Process

  1. Update version in plugin.json
  2. Update CHANGELOG.md
  3. Create release tag
  4. Publish release notes

License

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the BSD 3-Clause License.

Resources