# Contributing
Thank you for your interest in Spawn.
Spawn is an opinionated tool with a specific architectural vision. To ensure the project remains focused and maintainable, we ask that you follow the guidelines below.
### ⚠️ Important: Discuss First
**Please open an issue to discuss any changes before submitting a Pull Request.**
We prioritize features that align with the core "Database Build System" philosophy. Pull Requests submitted without a prior discussion or linked issue may be closed without review. This ensures we don't waste your time on work that cannot be merged.
### Reporting Bugs
If you find a bug, please open an issue using the Bug Report template.
- Include your `spawn.toml` (redacted).
- Include the output of `spawn migration status`.
- Provide clear steps to reproduce the issue.
### Proposing Features
Feature requests are welcome, but please verify they align with the project's scope (PostgreSQL-first, zero-abstraction). Please describe **the problem you are trying to solve**, not just the solution you want to implement.
## Contributor License Agreement (CLA)
To help protect the project's integrity and legal standing, all contributors are required to agree to the Contributor License Agreement (CLA). This agreement is for your protection as well as the protection of the project; it does not change your rights to use your own contributions for any other purpose. Please review [the CLA document](CLA.md) for more information.
## How to Contribute
- Fork the repo and create your branch from master.
- Ensure any install or build dependencies are removed before the end of the layer when doing a build.
- Update the README.md with details of changes, including new environment variables, exposed ports, useful file locations, and container parameters.
- Increase the version numbers in any examples files and the README.md to the new version that this Pull Request would represent.
- Complete the PR template checklist and certify your agreement with [the CLA](CLA.md).
## License
By contributing, you agree to [the CLA](CLA.md) and that your contributions may be licensed under any licences permitted by its CLA.