# Contributing
Thank you for your interest in contributing to `cealign`!
## Getting started
1. Fork the repository and clone your fork
2. Ensure you have a recent stable Rust toolchain (>= 1.87)
3. Install system dependencies (required for the `plot` feature on Linux):
```bash
sudo apt-get install libfontconfig-dev
```
## Development workflow
Build and test:
```bash
cargo build
cargo test --all-features
```
Check formatting and lints before opening a PR:
```bash
cargo fmt --all
cargo clippy --all-features -- -D warnings
```
## Submitting changes
- Open an issue first for non-trivial changes so we can discuss the approach
- Keep PRs focused — one feature or fix per PR
- Add or update tests for any changed behaviour
- Ensure `cargo fmt`, `cargo clippy`, and `cargo test` all pass
## Reporting bugs
Please use the [bug report template](.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.md) and include a minimal reproducible example where possible.