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Follow these guidelines to ensure your code contributions meet Loop’s quality standards and can be smoothly integrated into the project.

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Opening an Issue

Before writing any code, you need to communicate your plans with the maintainers:
1

Create an issue

  1. Go to the Issues tab on GitHub
  2. Click “New issue”
  3. Clearly articulate the change, addition, or improvement you want to make
  4. Explain the scope and purpose of your proposed work
2

Wait for maintainer approval

Wait for a response from a maintainer. This helps:
  • Avoid conflicts with ongoing development
  • Ensure your work aligns with Loop’s direction
  • Prevent duplicate efforts
Once your issue is accepted, you’re ready to start coding!

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Code Formatting

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SwiftFormat Requirement

IMPORTANT: You must have SwiftFormat installed. Before submitting your PR, run: 
swiftformat .
A formatting check runs automatically on every PR. If formatting is incorrect, your PR will be rejected.

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Code Documentation Standards

All code must include comprehensive comments. Proper documentation helps other contributors understand your code and makes maintenance easier. 
/// Determines if two colors are similar based on a threshold.
/// - Parameters:
///   - color: The color to compare with the receiver.
///   - threshold: The maximum allowed difference between color components.
/// - Returns: A Boolean value indicating whether the two colors are similar.
func isSimilar(to color: NSColor, threshold: CGFloat = 0.1) -> Bool {
    // Convert both colors to the RGB color space for comparison.
    guard let color1 = usingColorSpace(.deviceRGB),
          let color2 = color.usingColorSpace(.deviceRGB)
    else {
        return false
    }

    // Compare the red, green, and blue components of both colors.
    return abs(color1.redComponent - color2.redComponent) < threshold &&
        abs(color1.greenComponent - color2.greenComponent) < threshold &&
        abs(color1.blueComponent - color2.blueComponent) < threshold
}
Good documentation includes:
  • A clear description of what the function/class does
  • Parameter documentation with types and purposes
  • Return value documentation
  • Inline comments explaining complex logic

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Low-Effort Contributions

While we appreciate all interest in improving Loop, low-effort pull requests may be closed. Examples of low-effort contributions:
  • Fixing a single typo or grammatical error
  • Rewording an existing localization string
  • Changing or adding one-line comments without meaningful impact
  • Minor one-liners that don’t meaningfully affect logic, behavior, or maintainability
For these small improvements, the issue you opened is usually sufficient. Maintainers will bundle these changes with larger updates to avoid merge conflicts and extra overhead.

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Opening a Pull Request

Once your code is ready and tested:
1

Commit your changes

Use meaningful commit messages with the appropriate emoji prefix:
git add .
git commit -m "✨ Add wallpaper theming"
Required emoji prefixes:
  • 🐞 Bug fixes must include a bug emoji
  • ✨ Added features must include a star emoji
  • 🌐 Localization must include a globe emoji
2

Push to your fork

git push origin develop
3

Create the pull request

  1. Go to GitHub and navigate to your fork
  2. You’ll see a button to “Create pull request” - click it
  3. Fill in the PR details:
    • Clear title describing the change
    • Description explaining what you did and why
    • Reference to the issue you opened
  4. If your PR needs changes or isn’t ready for review, mark it as a draft PR

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Review Process

After submitting your PR:
  1. Automated checks will run (including SwiftFormat validation)
  2. Maintainer review - A maintainer will review your code
  3. Feedback - You may be asked to make changes
  4. Approval and merge - Once approved, your PR will be merged
Be responsive to feedback and willing to make requested changes. The review process is collaborative and helps maintain code quality.

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Alternative Push Methods

You can push changes in several ways:
  • Xcode - Use the ‘Integrate’ option at the top of the code editor
  • Command line - Use the git commands shown above (recommended)
  • VS Code - Open the project in VS Code and use its git integration
Choose the method you’re most comfortable with!

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