Contributing to NativeScript

Documentation is often the easiest place to get started contributing to any open source project. It’s also something that virtually everyone reads and uses, so your documentation work can have a big impact on the NativeScript community! The NativeScript documentation lives in a series of markdown (.md) files in the NativeScript/docs repository.

Don’t know where to start? Look for issues that have a “help wanted” label.

TIP: New to open source and don’t know how to submit a pull request? Check out Kent Dodd’s free video walkthrough on the topic.

The main NativeScript code repository is a series of TypeScript modules that live in the NativeScript/NativeScript repo. If you’re interested in contributing to those modules, read through the detailed module contributing guide before getting started.

There are many other code repositories in the NativeScript world you might also be interested in contributing to:

nativescript-cli

• This repo contains the NativeScript command-line interface, which lets you create, build, and run apps using the NativeScript framework. The CLI is written in TypeScript.

nativescript-angular

• This repository contains the TypeScript code that integrates Angular with NativeScript.

nativescript-vue

• This community-run project allows NativeScript to integrate with Vue.js.

ios-runtime

• This repo contains the NativeScript iOS runtime—the code that hosts NativeScript iOS apps, and allows JavaScript code to be executed on iOS devices. The iOS runtime is written in a fun mix of C++, Objective-C, and more.

android-runtime

• This repo contains the NativeScript Android—the code that hosts NativeScript Android apps, and allows JavaScript code to be executed on Android devices. The Android runtime is written in a fun mix of C++ and Java.

Explore the NativeScript organization on GitHub for a full list of repos you can contribute to.

TIP: Look for issues tagged good first issue or help wanted!

Are you interested in writing code, but finding it overwhelming to figure out how to contribute to one of the main NativeScript repositories?

You’re not alone. It can be difficult to jump into an unfamiliar codebase and immediately make meaningful contributions. It’s really something that you work up to. In NativeScript, an easier place to get started is by writing a NativeScript plugin.

The great thing about NativeScript plugins is that you’re basically writing a NativeScript module, so you get familiar with NativeScript’s coding conventions while maintaining the freedom to experiment.

If you’re interested, look through the list of plugins on the NativeScript Marketplace for inspiration. If you’re looking for help coming up with plugin ideas, try asking around on Slack.

Large open source tools generate an enormous number of community questions, requests, and discussions - and NativeScript is no different.

Providing support to your community - whether it’s on Stack Overflow, Slack, or wherever - is a great way to learn more about a project, and to prepare yourself for contributing code directly. Here are a couple of ways you can help:

NativeScript on Stack Overflow

• Stack Overflow attracts developer questions for all sorts of technology stacks, including NativeScript. Try answering a few NativeScript questions and building your Stack Overflow reputation.

Join the NativeScript Slack

• Become part of the NativeScript community on Slack to provide real-time assistance to other developers. Join us on the #contributor-squad channel where new contributors can find help!