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Welcome to the KiCad development community! This guide will help you begin contributing to KiCad’s source code.

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Joining the Development Team

To begin contributing to KiCad, you should first join the KiCad Developers mailing list. This mailing list is used for:
  • Announcements about development progress (milestones, deadlines, new releases)
  • Discussing the implementation of new features
  • Asking general questions about the KiCad codebase

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Getting Started

New developers are encouraged to start small with their contribution, and gradually work their way up to larger changes as they gain knowledge in the codebase.

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Finding Starter Issues

The development team labels issues in the issue tracker with “starter” when the issue or feature being requested is a good way for a new person to contribute to KiCad. Alternatively, you can:
  • Search through the issue tracker for any issues that look interesting
  • Leave a comment saying you are interested in working on it
  • Ask questions in the issue comments - other developers will help you

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Planning Larger Changes

Developing any larger change, such as a new feature, should be discussed on the developers mailing list before substantial work is done. This allows for:
  • Input from the lead development team
  • Ensuring the feature is aligned with current development goals
  • Preventing duplication of work by contributors

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Code of Conduct

KiCad is committed to fostering an open and welcoming environment. All contributors are expected to:
  • Use welcoming and helpful language
  • Be respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences
  • Gracefully accept constructive criticism
  • Focus on what is best for the community
  • Show empathy towards other community members
For the full Code of Conduct, see the code-of-conduct.md file in the repository.

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Development Resources

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Repository Structure

KiCad consists of multiple components:
  • kicad - Main programs and core files (this repository)
  • kicad-doc - Documentation and interactive help
  • kicad-library - Schematic symbols, PCB footprints, and 3D models
The main repository includes:
  • 3d-viewer/ - 3D viewer source code
  • eeschema/ - Schematic editor
  • pcbnew/ - PCB editor
  • gerbview/ - Gerber viewer
  • common/ - Common library code
  • libs/ - Utility libraries (geometry, etc.)
  • scripting/ - Python integration
  • qa/ - Unit testing framework

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Next Steps

  1. Set up your development environment
  2. Build KiCad from source
  3. Learn the code style guidelines
  4. Submit your first merge request

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