Contributor Model

Purpose: Define how human contributors participate in the rustchat project. Last Updated: 2026-03-24

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Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Rust 1.80+ with cargo
• Node.js 20+ with npm
• PostgreSQL 16+
• Redis 7+
• S3-compatible storage (RustFS/MinIO for local dev)

Repository Structure

Path	Contents
backend/	Rust API server (Axum 0.8 + Tokio)
frontend/	Vue 3.5 + TypeScript SPA
push-proxy/	Mobile push notification gateway
tools/mm-compat/	Python Mattermost compatibility tooling
docs/	Project documentation
.governance/	LLM operating model policies

Quick Start

See Running Environment for full Docker-based local development setup.

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Contribution Rules

1. All changes go through pull requests — no direct pushes to main.
2. Every PR must answer:
   • What problem is solved?
   • Which area is affected?
   • Does behavior change?
   • What tests are added?
3. Do not mix unrelated domains in one PR (e.g., auth + UI + CI changes should be separate).
4. Risky changes require tests before code movement — see Testing Model.
5. Architecture changes require an ADR — add to docs/adr/ following the template.

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Issue Intake

Use the appropriate issue template:

Template	Use When
Bug	Something is broken
Feature	New functionality request
Refactor	Internal improvement with no behavior change
Test Gap	Missing test coverage
Security Concern	Potential vulnerability
Documentation Gap	Missing or outdated docs

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Pull Request Process

1. Create a branch from main
2. Implement the smallest safe change
3. Add/update tests (see Testing Model)
4. Update docs if structure changed
5. Fill in the PR template completely
6. Request review from the appropriate code owner (see Ownership Map)
7. Address review comments
8. Merge only after all checks pass and review is approved

Required Status Checks

All PRs must pass:

• backend-ci — Rust tests, clippy, formatting
• frontend-ci — TypeScript/Vue tests, linting
• MM-Mobile Compatibility — Mattermost API contract tests

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Good First Issues

Issues marked good-first-issue meet these criteria:

• Scope is small and well-defined
• Acceptance criteria are clear
• An owner is available for review
• Relevant files are known
• No risky behavior is involved

Look for these labels in the issue tracker.

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Coding Conventions

Rust (Backend)

• Formatting: cargo fmt — enforced in CI
• Linting: cargo clippy -- -D warnings — enforced in CI
• Naming: Follow Rust RFC 430 (snake_case for fns/vars, CamelCase for types)
• Error handling: Use thiserror for error types, Result<T, AppError> pattern
• Async: Tokio runtime, prefer async fn for IO-bound work

TypeScript/Vue (Frontend)

• Formatting: Prettier with 2-space indent
• Linting: ESLint with Vue 3 recommended rules
• Naming: camelCase for functions/variables, PascalCase for components/types
• Components: Composition API with <script setup>
• State: Pinia stores in features/[domain]/stores/

General

• Keep functions small and focused
• Prefer explicit over implicit
• Add comments only when logic is non-obvious
• Write tests that fail before implementing fixes

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Testing Instructions

Backend Tests

cd backend
# Run all tests (requires Postgres, Redis, S3 running)
cargo test

# Run specific test
cargo test test_name -- --exact

# Run integration tests only
cargo test --test integration

# Run contract validation tests
cargo test contract

Frontend Tests

cd frontend
# Unit tests
npm run test

# E2E tests (requires backend running)
npx playwright test

# Update E2E snapshots
npx playwright test --update-snapshots

Compatibility Tests

cd backend
# Validate Mattermost API contract
cargo test --test mattermost_contract_tests

Pre-commit Checklist

# Backend
cd backend && cargo fmt --check && cargo clippy -- -D warnings && cargo test

# Frontend
cd frontend && npm run lint && npm run type-check

See Testing Model for complete testing strategy.

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Where to Get Help

• Architecture questions: See Architecture Overview
• Agent/LLM workflow: See Agent Operating Model
• Mattermost compatibility: See Compatibility Scope
• Code ownership: See Ownership Map