This page is a step by step guide for contributing to PostGIS


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Workflow: 
 - Fork https://github.com/postgis/postgis
 - clone the forked postgis on your computer
 - compile (everything should be ok)
   * ./autogen.sh
   * ./configure
   * make
   * sudo make install
 - if big new feature
   * discuss on the dev mailing list or on irc.freenode.org #postgis
 - if bug correction
   * create / update tickets
 - if minor changes (no API break)
   * directly work on it
 - in all case : create a branch with a telling name (what you will be working on)
 - to code
   * start from SQL looking for the function definition and the associated C function
   * look for C function in postgis sources, and look if the postgis function calls a libgeom function
   * etc
 - if changing existing function signature
   * you need to change the 'postgis_drop_before.sql' to get rid of the old functions
 - to test
   * if libgeom : CUnit
      * cd  liblwgeom/cunit/
      * make check
   * test at the postgres level (before submitting the code)
     -writting/changing test
      * go in regress folder
      * look for the most promising dummy.sql file
      * create a query with a distinct text_id as the first column
      * add corresponding correct answer in dummy_expected file. Warning, line order matters 
      * if modifying regress_ogc
        - be carefull, the function will be tested against sfcgal kernel and regular kernel
        - a 2nd expecteed result file must be changed in sfcgal folder
     - testing
      * make
      * make check
      * sudo make install
      * make installcheck
      * (optional) if testing from a client, server restart may be requiered
     - limited testing
      * to test only one function, go in the regress folder, execute './run_test.pl regress_dummy', regress_dummy shall not have extension.
 - to document (mandatory)
   * go in doc folder
   * open the relevant dummy.xml (XML is in docbook format)
   * modify/add the function.
     - Warning, optionnal arg have a perticular syntax
     - Warning, version must be noted
   * test doc with make ...
- to debug
   * adding a log message : `elog(NOTICE, "MESSAGE");`
      
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