CONTRIBUTING.md

Contributing to pick

Thanks for your interest in contributing! Here's everything you need to get started.

Development setup

1. Install Rust (1.85+)
2. Clone the repo:

   git clone https://github.com/aryanbhosale/pick.git
   cd pick

3. Run the tests:

   cargo test

Making changes

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a branch from main:

   git checkout -b my-change

3. Make your changes
4. Ensure everything passes:

   cargo test
   cargo clippy -- -D warnings
   cargo fmt --check

5. Push and open a pull request against main

What to work on

• Issues labeled good first issue are a great starting point
• Issues labeled help wanted are open for contribution
• Bug reports and feature requests are always welcome

Architecture overview

All input formats are parsed into serde_json::Value as a unified data model. The selector engine then traverses this value tree.

stdin/file → detect format → parse → serde_json::Value → selector → output

Key files:

• src/selector.rs — Selector parser and extraction logic
• src/detector.rs — Format auto-detection heuristics
• src/formats/ — One file per format parser
• src/output.rs — Output formatting (plain, JSON, lines)
• tests/integration.rs — CLI integration tests

Adding a new format

1. Create src/formats/my_format.rs with a pub fn parse(input: &str) -> Result<Value, PickError> function
2. Add it to src/formats/mod.rs
3. Add the variant to InputFormat in src/cli.rs
4. Add detection logic in src/detector.rs
5. Wire it up in src/lib.rs
6. Add unit tests in the format file and integration tests in tests/integration.rs

Code style

• Run cargo fmt before committing
• No clippy warnings (cargo clippy -- -D warnings)
• Write tests for new functionality
• Keep error messages concise and actionable

Pull request process

1. PRs require review approval before merging
2. CI must pass (tests, clippy, fmt)
3. Keep PRs focused — one feature or fix per PR
4. Update the README if adding user-facing features