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Welcome to the Chapinismos project! We’re excited that you want to contribute to this Guatemalan slang dictionary. This guide will help you get started.

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Ways to Contribute

There are many ways you can contribute to Chapinismos:

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High Priority Contributions

  • Add new Guatemalan words - The most valuable contribution
  • Fix errors in existing definitions - Help improve accuracy
  • Improve usage examples - Make examples more natural and contextual
  • Report and fix bugs - Help keep the site running smoothly

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Medium Priority Contributions

  • Improve documentation - Make it easier for others to contribute
  • Optimize performance - Help the site load faster
  • Improve accessibility - Make the site usable for everyone
  • Add tests - Increase code reliability

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Low Priority Contributions

  • New features - Suggest and build new functionality
  • UI/UX improvements - Enhance the user experience
  • Code refactoring - Improve code quality and maintainability

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Setting Up Your Development Environment

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:
  • Node.js 22+ installed on your machine
  • pnpm or npm package manager
  • Git for version control
  • A GitHub account to fork the repository

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Installation Steps

  1. Fork the repository on GitHub
  2. Clone your fork to your local machine: 
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/diccionario-chapin.git
cd diccionario-chapin
  1. Install dependencies:
pnpm install
# or
npm install
  1. Start the development server:
pnpm run dev
# or
npm run dev
  1. Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:4321
You should see the Chapinismos site running locally!

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Adding Your First Word

The easiest way to contribute is by adding new Guatemalan words. Here’s a quick walkthrough:

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Step 1: Create the Spanish Version

Create a new Markdown file in src/content/words-es/ with the word in lowercase, without accents, using hyphens for spaces: 
---
word: "Chapín"
meaning: "Persona originaria de Guatemala; gentilicio coloquial."
examples:
  - "Me siento orgulloso de ser chapín."
  - "Los chapines somos trabajadores y amables."
  - "Ese restaurante tiene comida bien chapina."
category: "sustantivo"
region: "Guatemala"
featured: true
---

## Etimología

El término viene del español antiguo "chapín", un tipo de calzado con plataforma de corcho que usaban los españoles en el siglo XVI.

## Notas

Puedes agregar contexto adicional, etimología o información cultural aquí (opcional).

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Step 2: Create the English Version

Create the same filename in src/content/words-en/ and translate the content: 
---
word: "Chapín"
meaning: "A person from Guatemala; Guatemalan"
examples:
  - "He's a chapín, born and raised in Guatemala City"
  - "Chapines are known for their friendly nature"
  - "The chapín culture is very rich and diverse"
category: "noun"
region: "Guatemala"
featured: true
---

## Etymology

The term comes from the old Spanish word referring to a type of wooden clog shoe with a cork platform that was popular in Spain during the 16th century.

## Notes

You can add additional context, etymology, or cultural information here (optional).
Important: Both files must have the exact same filename (e.g., chapin.md in both words-es/ and words-en/ directories).

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Step 3: Validate Your Changes

  1. Format the code:
pnpm run format
  1. Build the project to ensure there are no validation errors:
pnpm run build
The project uses Zod for automatic validation. If there are any errors in your word entries, the build will fail with a descriptive message.

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Step 4: Test Locally

Start the development server and check that your word appears correctly: 
pnpm run dev
Navigate to your word’s page and verify:
  • The definition displays correctly
  • Examples are formatted properly
  • The word appears in the search
  • The word shows up in the alphabetical index

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Required Fields

When adding a word, these fields are required:
  • word - The word in Spanish or English (depending on the directory)
  • meaning - Clear and concise definition
  • examples - Array with at least 2 usage examples
  • category - Type of word:
    • Spanish: "sustantivo", "verbo", "adjetivo", "expresión", "modismo"
    • English: "noun", "verb", "adjective", "expression", "idiom"

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Optional Fields

  • region - Defaults to “Guatemala”
  • synonyms - Array of synonyms
  • relatedWords - Array of related words
  • featured - Set to true to highlight on homepage (only use for ~6 most popular words)

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Important Contribution Rules

Before submitting, ensure:
  • The term is actually used in Guatemala
  • The definition is clear and understandable
  • Examples are natural and contextual
  • Filenames are lowercase, without accents, using hyphens
  • The same filename exists in both words-es/ and words-en/
  • No offensive or discriminatory language is used

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Other Types of Contributions

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Reporting Bugs

If you find a bug, open an issue with:
  • Clear, descriptive title
  • Detailed description of the problem
  • Steps to reproduce the error
  • Expected behavior vs actual behavior
  • Screenshots if possible
  • Browser/device information

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Suggesting Improvements

Have an idea to improve the project?
  1. Check that a similar issue doesn’t already exist
  2. Open an issue with the “enhancement” label
  3. Describe clearly:
    • What problem your suggestion solves
    • How the improvement would work
    • Why it would be useful for users

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Getting Help

If you need help:
  • Open an issue with your questions
  • Check existing issues with the “question” label
  • Read the project documentation

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Useful Resources

Ready to contribute? Head over to the Guidelines to learn about code style and conventions, or check out the Pull Request Guide to submit your changes!

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