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Contributing to Apache ECharts

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Code of Conduct

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Ways to Contribute

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Help Others

• Help solve problems in GitHub issues
• Remind authors to provide demos when reporting bugs
• Try to reproduce problems described in issues
• Answer questions on Stack Overflow

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Code Contributions

• Fix bugs reported in issues
• Implement new features
• Improve performance
• Write tests

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Documentation

• Improve existing documentation
• Translate documentation to other languages
• Write tutorials and guides
• Add code examples

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Community

• Discuss in the mailing list
• Share your ECharts projects
• Write blog posts about ECharts

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Reporting Issues

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Before Creating an Issue

1. Search existing issues - Check if the issue has already been reported in the issues list
2. Read the documentation - Review the documentation carefully
3. Check Stack Overflow - Questions like “how can I use echarts to…” belong on Stack Overflow, not in the issue tracker

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Creating a Bug Report

1. Visit the New Issue page
2. Select the bug report template
3. Provide a minimal reproducible demo
4. Include:
   • ECharts version
   • Browser and version
   • Operating system
   • Steps to reproduce
   • Expected vs actual behavior

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Feature Requests

1. Use the feature request template
2. Clearly describe the use case
3. Explain why this feature would be useful
4. Provide examples if possible

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Pull Requests

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Development Workflow

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Setting Up Development Environment

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/apache/echarts.git
cd echarts

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Start development server
npm run dev

# Run tests
npm test

# Check TypeScript types
npm run checktype

# Lint code
npm run lint

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Development Commands

# Watch mode for rapid development
npm run dev

# Build all distribution files
npm run release

# Run unit tests
npm test

# Run visual regression tests
npm run test:visual

# Type checking
npm run checktype

# Lint and fix code
npm run lint:fix

# Check license headers
npm run checkheader

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Pull Request Guidelines

1. Fork and clone the repository
2. Create a branch from master
3. Make your changes with clear commit messages
4. Test thoroughly - add tests for new features
5. Run linting - ensure code passes all checks
6. Update documentation if needed
7. Submit the PR with a clear description

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Code Quality

• Follows the existing code style
• Passes ESLint checks (npm run lint)
• Passes TypeScript checks (npm run checktype)
• Includes appropriate tests
• Has proper license headers (npm run checkheader)

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Release Process

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Release Schedule

1. Beginning of month - Start discussion for release two versions ahead (e.g., if current is 4.3.0, discuss 4.5.0)
2. Mid-month - Begin development of next release (e.g., 4.4.0)
3. ~22nd of month - Freeze development and start testing
4. End of month - Vote on release in mailing list

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Milestone Discussions

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Using Code from Other Authors

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Algorithms and Ideas

• ✅ Be transparent about implementing existing ideas
• ✅ Reference sources where ideas came from
• ✅ Use clear language - “inspired by”, “learned from”, “references”
• ✅ Include licensing if copying copyrightable expression
• ⚠️ Check compatibility - ensure licenses are compatible with Apache 2.0

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Third-Party Code

• Review Apache header guidelines
• Check license compatibility at Apache legal

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Compatible Licenses

• ✅ BSD - Compatible with Apache License
• ✅ MIT - Compatible with Apache License
• ❌ CC BY-SA - NOT compatible (details)

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Stack Overflow Code

• Review Stack Overflow policy
• Check LEGAL-471

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Testing

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Unit Tests

# Run all tests
npm test

# Run specific test
npm run test:single -- "test name"

# Debug a test
npm run test:single:debug -- "test name"

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Visual Tests

# Start visual test server
npm run test:visual

# Create a new test case
npm run mktest

# Get help on test creation
npm run mktest:help

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Type Definition Tests

# Run TypeScript definition tests
npm run test:dts

# Fast mode (skip install)
npm run test:dts:fast

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Commit Message Guidelines

feat(bar): add horizontal bar chart support
fix(tooltip): correct position calculation for edge cases
docs(api): update setOption documentation
test(line): add test for gradient line charts
chore: update dependencies

• feat: New feature
• fix: Bug fix
• docs: Documentation changes
• test: Test additions or changes
• refactor: Code refactoring
• chore: Build process or auxiliary tool changes

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Community Resources

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Communication Channels

• GitHub Issues: Bug reports and features
• Email: [email protected]
• Mailing List: Subscribe here
• Stack Overflow: Tag questions with echarts

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Documentation

• Official Handbook
• API Documentation
• Option Manual
• Examples

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Development Wikis

• How to make a pull request
• How to setup the dev environment

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Getting Started

1. Find an issue - Look for good first issues
2. Set up your environment - Follow the dev setup guide
3. Make your changes - Write code and tests
4. Submit a PR - Follow the PR guidelines above
5. Respond to feedback - Work with maintainers to refine your contribution

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Questions?

1. Check the GitHub wiki
2. Ask on the mailing list
3. Email [email protected]