---
title: "Development"
description: "General contributing guidelines and changelog of SpaceVim, including development information about SpaceVim"
---
# [Home](../) >> Development
- [Asking for help](#asking-for-help)
- [Bug reporting](#bug-reporting)
- [Contributing code](#contributing-code)
- [License](#license)
- [Conventions](#conventions)
- [Git commit style guide](#git-commit-style-guide)
- [types](#types)
- [scopes](#scopes)
- [subject](#subject)
- [body](#body)
- [footer](#footer)
- [Pull Request](#pull-request)
- [Title prefix of pull request](#title-prefix-of-pull-request)
- [Rebase on top of upstream master](#rebase-on-top-of-upstream-master)
- [Ideally for simple PRs](#ideally-for-simple-prs)
- [For complex PRs](#for-complex-prs)
- [Contributing a layer](#contributing-a-layer)
- [File header](#file-header)
- [Author of a new layer](#author-of-a-new-layer)
- [Contributor to an existing layer](#contributor-to-an-existing-layer)
- [Contributing a keybinding](#contributing-a-keybinding)
- [Language specified key bindings](#language-specified-key-bindings)
- [Contributing a banner](#contributing-a-banner)
- [Build with SpaceVim](#build-with-spacevim)
- [Newsletters](#newsletters)
- [Changelog](#changelog)
SpaceVim is an effort of all the volunteers. We encourage you to pitch in. The community makes SpaceVim what it is.
We have a few guidelines which we need all contributors to follow.
You can only consider reading the sections relevant to what you are going to do:
- [Asking for help](#asking-for-help) if you are about to open an issue to ask a question.
- [Reporting issues](#reporting-issues) if you are about to open a new issue.
- [Contributing code](#contributing-code) if you are about to send a pull-request.
## Asking for help
If you want to ask an usage question,
be sure to look first into some places as it may hold the answers:
- :h SpaceVim-faq: Some of the most frequently asked questions are answered there.
- [SpaceVim documentation](https://spacevim.org/documentation/): It is the general documentation of SpaceVim.
## Bug reporting
To report a bug, you can use the spacevim mailing list `spacevim@googlegroups.com`,
before sending mail, please:
- Check that no duplicate issue in [google groups](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/spacevim)
- Check that the issue has not been fixed in latest version of SpaceVim,
please update your SpaceVim, and try to reproduce the bug here.
- Use a clear title with `[bug]` prefix.
- Include details on how to reproduce it, just like a step by step guide.
## Contributing code
Code contributions are welcome. Please read the following sections carefully.
In any case, feel free to join us on the [gitter chat](https://gitter.im/SpaceVim/SpaceVim) to ask questions about contributing!
### License
The license is GPLv3 for all the parts of SpaceVim. This includes:
- The initialization and core files.
- All the layer files.
- The documentation
For files not belonging to SpaceVim like local packages and libraries,
refer to the header file. Those files should not have an empty header, we may not accept code without a proper header file.
### Conventions
SpaceVim is based on conventions, mainly for naming functions,
keybindings definition and writing documentation.
Please read the [conventions](https://spacevim.org/conventions/) before your first contribution to get to know them.
### Git commit style guide
A git commit message consists a three distinct parts separated by black line.
```
Type (scope): Subject
body
footer
```
#### types
- `feat`: A new feature
- `fix`: A bug fix
- `docs`: Changes to documentation
- `style`: Formatting, missing semi colons, etc; no code change
- `refactor`: Refactoring production code
- `test`: Adding tests, refactoring test; no production code change
- `chore`: Updating build tasks, package manager configs, etc; no production code change
#### scopes
- `layer`
- `api`
- `plugin`
#### subject
Subjects should be no greater than 50 characters,
should begin with a capital letter and do not end with a period.
Use an imperative tone to describe what a commit does,
rather than what it did. For example, use change; not changed or changes.
#### body
Not all commits are complex enough to warrant a body,
therefore it is optional and only used when a commit requires a bit of explanation and context.
#### footer
The footer is optional and is used to reference issue tracker IDs.
### Pull Request
#### Title prefix of pull request
Pull request titles should contain one of these prefix:
- `Add:` Adding new features.
- `Change:` Change default behaviors or the existing features.
- `Fix:` Fix some bugs.
- `Remove:` Remove some existing features.
- `Doc:` Update the help files.
- `Website:` Update the content of website.
Here is an example:
`Website: Update the lang#c layer page.`
#### Rebase on top of upstream master
- Fork SpaceVim repository
- Clone your repository
```sh
git clone ${YOUR_OWN_REPOSITORY_URL}
```
- Add upstream remote
```sh
git remote add upstream https://github.com/SpaceVim/SpaceVim.git
```
- Fetch upstream and rebase on top of upstream master
```sh
git fetch upstream
git rebase upstream/master
```
#### Ideally for simple PRs
- Branch from `master`
- One topic per PR
- One commit per PR
- If you have several commits on different topics, close the PR and create one PR per topic
- If you still have several commits, squash them into only one commit
#### For complex PRs
Squash only the commits with uninteresting changes like typos, syntax fixes, etc.
And keep the important and isolated steps in different commits.
Those PRs are merged and explicitly not fast-forwarded.
### Contributing a layer
Please read the layers documentation first.
Layer with no associated configuration will be rejected. For instance a layer with just a package and a hook can be easily replaced by the usage of the variable `custom_plugins`.
#### File header
The file header for Vim script should look like the following template:
```vim
"=============================================================================
" FILENAME --- NAME layer file for SpaceVim
" Copyright (c) 2016-2020 Wang Shidong & Contributors
" Author: Wang Shidong < wsdjeg@outlook.com >
" URL: https://spacevim.org
" License: GPLv3
"=============================================================================
```
You should replace FILENAME by the name of the file (e.g. foo.vim) and NAME by the name of the layer you are creating, don’t forget to replace **YOUR NAME** and **YOUR EMAIL** neighter.
#### Author of a new layer
In the files header, replace the default author name (Shidong Wang) with your name.
The following example shows how to create a new layer names `foo`:
1. Fork SpaceVim repo.
2. Add a layer file `autoload/SpaceVim/layers/foo.vim` for `foo` layer.
3. Edit layer file, check out the example below:
```vim
"=============================================================================
" foo.vim --- foo Layer file for SpaceVim
" Copyright (c) 2012-2016 Shidong Wang & Contributors
" Author: Shidong Wang < wsdjeg at 163.com >
" URL: https://spacevim.org
" License: GPLv3
"=============================================================================
""
" @section foo, layer-foo
" @parentsection layers
" This the doc for this layer:
"
" @subsection Key Bindings
" >
" Mode Key Function
" -------------------------------------------------------------
" normal jA generate accessors
" normal js generate setter accessor
" <
" @subsection Layer options
" >
" Name Description Default
" -------------------------------------------------------------
" option1 Set option1 for foo layer ''
" option2 Set option2 for foo layer []
" option3 Set option3 for foo layer {}
" <
" @subsection Global options
" >
" Name Description Default
" -------------------------------------------------------------
" g:pluginA_opt1 Set opt1 for plugin A ''
" g:pluginB_opt2 Set opt2 for plugin B []
" <
function! SpaceVim#layers#foo#plugins() abort
let plugins = []
call add(plugins, ['Shougo/foo.vim', {'option' : 'value'}])
call add(plugins, ['Shougo/foo_test.vim', {'option' : 'value'}])
return plugins
endfunction
function! SpaceVim#layers#foo#config() abort
let g:foo_option1 = get(g:, 'foo_option1', 1)
let g:foo_option2 = get(g:, 'foo_option2', 2)
let g:foo_option3 = get(g:, 'foo_option3', 3)
" ...
endfunction
" add layer options:
let s:layer_option = 'default var'
function! SpaceVim#layers#foo#set_variable(var) abort
let s:layer_option = get(a:var, 'layer_option', s:layer_option)
endfunction
" completion function for layer options:
function! SpaceVim#layers#foo#get_options() abort
return ['layer_option']
endfunction
```
4. Add layer document `docs/layers/foo.md` for `foo` layer.
5. Open `docs/layers/index.md`, run `:call SpaceVim#dev#layers#update()` to update layer list.
6. Send PR to SpaceVim.
#### Contributor to an existing layer
If you want to contribute to an already existing layer, you should not modify any header file.
#### Contributing a keybinding
Mappings are an important part of SpaceVim.
First if you want to have some personal mappings. This can be done in your bootstrap function.
If you think it worth contributing new mappings, be sure to read the documentation to find the best mappings, then create a Pull-Request with your mappings.
ALWAYS document your new mappings or mappings changes inside the relevant documentation file.
It should be the layername.md and the [documentation](../documentation/).
##### Language specified key bindings
All language specified key bindings prefix `SPC l`.
We recommend to keep same language specified key bindings for different languages:
| Key Binding | Description |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| `SPC l r` | start a runner for current file |
| `SPC l e` | rename symbol |
| `SPC l d` | show doc |
| `SPC l i r` | remove unused imports |
| `SPC l i s` | sort imports with isort |
| `SPC l s i` | Start a language specified inferior REPL process |
| `SPC l s b` | send buffer and keep code buffer focused |
| `SPC l s l` | send line and keep code buffer focused |
| `SPC l s s` | send selection text and keep code buffer focused |
All above key bindings are just recommended as default, but they also base on the language layer itself.
#### Contributing a banner
The startup banner is by default the SpaceVim logo but there are also ASCII banners available in the core/banner layer.
If you have some ASCII skills you can submit your artwork!
You are free to choose a reasonable height size but the width size should be around 75 characters.
## Build with SpaceVim
SpaceVim provide a lot of public [APIs](../api/), you can create plugins base on this APIs. Also you can add a badge to the README.md of your plugin.
markdown
```md
[](https://spacevim.org)
```
## Newsletters