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Thank you for your interest in contributing to plugdata! Contributions from the community help make plugdata better for everyone.

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Ways to Contribute

There are many ways to contribute to plugdata:
  • Report bugs: Help identify issues and improve stability
  • Suggest features: Share ideas for new functionality
  • Submit code: Fix bugs, add features, or improve performance
  • Improve documentation: Help others learn and use plugdata
  • Test releases: Try experimental builds and provide feedback
  • Create examples: Share patches and tutorials
  • Help others: Answer questions on Discord or GitHub Discussions

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Code of Conduct

The plugdata project follows the Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct. All contributors are expected to uphold these standards.

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Our Pledge

We pledge to make participation in our community a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size, visible or invisible disability, ethnicity, sex characteristics, gender identity and expression, level of experience, education, socio-economic status, nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and orientation.

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Our Standards

Positive behaviors include:
  • Demonstrating empathy and kindness toward other people
  • Being respectful of differing opinions, viewpoints, and experiences
  • Giving and gracefully accepting constructive feedback
  • Accepting responsibility and apologizing for mistakes
  • Focusing on what is best for the overall community
Unacceptable behaviors include:
  • The use of sexualized language or imagery
  • Trolling, insulting or derogatory comments, and personal or political attacks
  • Public or private harassment
  • Publishing others’ private information without explicit permission
  • Other conduct inappropriate in a professional setting

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Enforcement

Instances of unacceptable behavior may be reported to the community leaders at [email protected]. All complaints will be reviewed and investigated promptly and fairly. For full details, see CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md on GitHub.

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Getting Started

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Setting Up Development Environment

  1. Fork and clone the repository 
    git clone --recursive https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/plugdata.git
cd plugdata
    Important: Use the --recursive flag to initialize git submodules, or run: 
    git submodule update --init --recursive
  2. Install dependencies Linux: JUCE framework requires several dependencies. Refer to Linux Dependencies.md and use the full installation command. macOS/Windows: Most dependencies are included or automatically managed.
  3. Build plugdata 
    mkdir build && cd build
cmake ..
cmake --build .
    Optional generators:
    • -G"Unix Makefiles" (Linux/macOS)
    • -G"Xcode" (macOS)
    • -G"Visual Studio 17 2022" -A x64 (Windows)

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Build Options

Customize your build with these CMake options:
  • -DQUICK_BUILD=1: Skip slow-to-compile objects (Gem, sfz~, ffmpeg players)
  • -DENABLE_GEM=0: Disable Gem objects
  • -DENABLE_SFIZZ=0: Disable sfz~ support
  • -DENABLE_FFMPEG=0: Disable ffmpeg-based audio players
  • -DENABLE_PERFETTO=1: Enable Perfetto performance tracing

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Build Requirements

  • CMake: 3.21 or later (required for CLAP plugin builds)
  • C++ compiler: Support for C++17 or later
  • Git: For cloning and submodule management

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Contributing Code

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GitHub Workflow

  1. Create an issue or discuss your idea
    • Check if an issue already exists
    • For major changes, discuss in Discord or GitHub Discussions first
  2. Fork the repository
    • Create a fork on GitHub
    • Clone your fork locally
  3. Create a feature branch 
    git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
  4. Make your changes
    • Write clear, maintainable code
    • Follow existing code style and conventions
    • Add comments for complex logic
    • Test your changes thoroughly
  5. Commit your changes 
    git add .
git commit -m "Add descriptive commit message"
  6. Push to your fork 
    git push origin feature/your-feature-name
  7. Create a Pull Request
    • Go to the plugdata repository
    • Click “New Pull Request”
    • Select your branch and describe your changes

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Coding Standards

  • Style: Follow the existing code style in the project
  • Formatting: Use consistent indentation and spacing
  • Comments: Add comments for non-obvious code
  • Commits: Write clear, descriptive commit messages
  • Testing: Test your changes on your platform
  • Documentation: Update relevant documentation for new features

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Testing

Before submitting:
  • Build successfully on your platform
  • Test core functionality isn’t broken
  • Verify your specific changes work as expected
  • Test in both standalone and plugin modes if applicable
  • Check for memory leaks or performance issues

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Reporting Issues

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Creating Good Bug Reports

Include:
  • Environment: OS, plugdata version, DAW (if applicable)
  • Plugin format: VST3, AU, LV2, CLAP, or standalone
  • Steps to reproduce: Clear, numbered steps
  • Expected behavior: What should happen
  • Actual behavior: What actually happens
  • Screenshots/patches: Visual aids or minimal reproduction patches
  • Crash logs: If the application crashed

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Before Reporting

  1. Search existing issues for duplicates
  2. Try the latest release or experimental build
  3. Verify it’s not a problem with your patch
  4. Collect all relevant information

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Adding Custom Externals

You can add your own externals to plugdata by recompiling:
  1. Add sources to the “externals” target in Libraries/CMakeLists.txt, or place .c files in Libraries/ELSE/Source/ (they’ll be compiled automatically)
  2. Add setup function in Source/Pd/Setup.cpp:
    • Call your setup function inside libpd_init_pdlua, initialiseELSE, or initialiseCyclone
    • Note: Using initialiseELSE or initialiseCyclone makes externals available under the else/* or cyclone/* prefix
  3. Rebuild plugdata with your changes

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Documentation Contributions

Documentation improvements are always welcome:
  • Fix typos or unclear explanations
  • Add examples and tutorials
  • Improve installation instructions
  • Document undocumented features
  • Create video tutorials or guides

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Performance Profiling

For performance optimization work, plugdata supports Perfetto tracing:
  1. Build with Perfetto: 
    cmake -DENABLE_PERFETTO=1 ..
cmake --build .
  2. Add trace points:
    • Add TRACE_COMPONENT() to function bodies
    • Or use Resources/Scripts/add_perfetto_tracepoints.py to automate
  3. Compile in Release mode for accurate profiling
  4. Learn more: See this Perfetto with JUCE blog post

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License

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under:
  • Source code: GPL-3.0 (for plugdata-specific code)
  • Compiled application: AGPL-3.0 (due to JUCE framework)
Third-party components retain their original licenses.

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Credits

plugdata is built on the work of many contributors and projects:

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Core Projects

  • Pure Data by Miller Puckette and others
  • libpd by Peter Brinkmann, Dan Wilcox, and others
  • JUCE by Raw Material Software Ltd.
  • Camomile by Pierre Guillot (inspiration)

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External Libraries

  • ELSE by Alexandre Torres Porres
  • Cyclone by Krzysztof Czaja, Hans-Christoph Steiner, Fred Jan Kraan, Alexandre Torres Porres, Derek Kwan, Matt Barber, and others
  • pd-lua by Claude Heiland-Allen, Albert Graef, and others
  • Heavy/hvcc originally by Enzien Audio, maintained by Wasted Audio

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Design

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Corporate Sponsors

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Getting Help

If you need help with contributions: Thank you for contributing to plugdata!

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