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<section id="contributing-guide">
<span id="contributing"></span><h1>Contributing guide<a class="headerlink" href="#contributing-guide" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h1>
<p>You've discovered a bug or something else you want to change
in Matplotlib — excellent!</p>
<p>You've worked out a way to fix it — even better!</p>
<p>You want to tell us about it — best of all!</p>
<p>Below, you can find a number of ways to contribute, and how to connect with the
Matplotlib community.</p>
<section id="ways-to-contribute">
<h2>Ways to contribute<a class="headerlink" href="#ways-to-contribute" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h2>
<details class="sd-sphinx-override sd-dropdown sd-card sd-mb-3" open="open">
<summary class="sd-summary-title sd-card-header">
<span class="sd-summary-icon"><svg version="1.1" width="1.0em" height="1.0em" class="sd-octicon sd-octicon-person-fill" viewBox="0 0 16 16" aria-hidden="true"><path d="M4.243 4.757a3.757 3.757 0 1 1 5.851 3.119 6.006 6.006 0 0 1 3.9 5.339.75.75 0 0 1-.715.784H2.721a.75.75 0 0 1-.714-.784 6.006 6.006 0 0 1 3.9-5.34 3.753 3.753 0 0 1-1.664-3.118Z"></path></svg></span><span class="sd-summary-text">Do I really have something to contribute to Matplotlib?</span><span class="sd-summary-state-marker sd-summary-chevron-right"><svg version="1.1" width="1.5em" height="1.5em" class="sd-octicon sd-octicon-chevron-right" viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-hidden="true"><path d="M8.72 18.78a.75.75 0 0 1 0-1.06L14.44 12 8.72 6.28a.751.751 0 0 1 .018-1.042.751.751 0 0 1 1.042-.018l6.25 6.25a.75.75 0 0 1 0 1.06l-6.25 6.25a.75.75 0 0 1-1.06 0Z"></path></svg></span></summary><div class="sd-summary-content sd-card-body docutils">
<p class="sd-card-text">Here are a few typical new contributor profiles. If you
don't fit into one of them, come talk to us on <a class="reference external" href="https://discourse.matplotlib.org/">Discourse</a> about how you might contribute.</p>
<ul>
<li><p class="sd-card-text"><strong>You are a Matplotlib user, and you see a bug, a potential improvement, or
something that annoys you, and you can fix it.</strong></p>
<p class="sd-card-text">You can search our <a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues">issue tracker</a>
for an existing issue that describes your problem or
open a new issue to inform us of the problem you observed and discuss the best approach
to fix it. If your contributions would not be captured on GitHub (social media,
communication, educational content), you can also reach out to us on
<a class="reference external" href="https://discourse.matplotlib.org/">Discourse</a> or attend any of our <a class="reference external" href="https://scientific-python.org/calendars">community
meetings</a>.</p>
</li>
<li><p class="sd-card-text"><strong>You are not a regular Matplotlib user but a domain expert: you know about
visualization, 3D plotting, design, technical writing, statistics, or some
other field where Matplotlib could be improved.</strong></p>
<p class="sd-card-text">Awesome — you have a focus on a specific application and domain and can
start there. In this case, maintainers can help you figure out the best
implementation; <a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues/new/choose">open an issue</a>
in our issue tracker, and we'll be happy to discuss technical approaches.</p>
<p class="sd-card-text">If you can implement the solution yourself, even better! Consider contributing
the change as a <a class="reference internal" href="#how-to-pull-request"><span class="std std-ref">pull request</span></a> right away.</p>
</li>
<li><p class="sd-card-text"><strong>You are new to Matplotlib, both as a user and contributor, and want to start
contributing but have yet to develop a particular interest.</strong></p>
<p class="sd-card-text">Having some previous experience or relationship with the library can be very
helpful when making open-source contributions. It helps you understand why
things are the way they are and how they <em>should</em> be. Having first-hand
experience and context is valuable both for what you can bring to the
conversation (and given the breadth of Matplotlib's usage, there is a good
chance it is a unique context in any given conversation) and make it easier to
understand where other people are coming from.</p>
<p class="sd-card-text">Understanding the entire codebase is a long-term project, and nobody
expects you to do this right away. Start by building your experience in
using Matplotlib: make complicated visualizations, use niche features,
dive deep into one part of the library. This will help you build the
context to then look at the existing issues and pull requests. You can
then reach out to us at the <a class="reference internal" href="#new-contributors"><span class="std std-ref">new contributor</span></a>
meeting or Discourse channel (incubator) to discuss what you would like
to work on.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</details><section id="code">
<span id="contribute-code"></span><h3>Code<a class="headerlink" href="#code" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h3>
<p>You want to implement a feature or fix a bug or help with maintenance - much
appreciated! Our library source code is found in:</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p>Python library code: <code class="file docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">lib/</span></code></p></li>
<li><p>C-extension code: <code class="file docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">src/</span></code></p></li>
<li><p>Tests: <code class="file docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">lib/matplotlib/tests/</span></code></p></li>
</ul>
<p>Because many people use and work on Matplotlib, we have guidelines for keeping
our code consistent and mitigating the impact of changes.</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p><a class="reference internal" href="coding_guide.html#coding-guidelines"><span class="std std-ref">Coding guidelines</span></a></p></li>
<li><p><a class="reference internal" href="api_changes.html#api-changes"><span class="std std-ref">API guidelines</span></a></p></li>
<li><p><a class="reference internal" href="pr_guide.html#pr-guidelines"><span class="std std-ref">Pull request guidelines</span></a></p></li>
</ul>
<p>Code is contributed through pull requests, so we recommend that you start at
<a class="reference internal" href="#how-to-pull-request"><span class="std std-ref">Start a pull request</span></a> If you get stuck, please reach out on the
<a class="reference internal" href="#contributor-incubator"><span class="std std-ref">Contributor incubator</span></a></p>
</section>
<section id="documentation">
<span id="contribute-documentation"></span><h3>Documentation<a class="headerlink" href="#documentation" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h3>
<p>You, as an end-user of Matplotlib can make a valuable contribution because you can
more clearly see the potential for improvement than a core developer. For example,
you can:</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p>Fix a typo</p></li>
<li><p>Clarify a docstring</p></li>
<li><p>Write or update an <a class="reference internal" href="../gallery/index.html#gallery"><span class="std std-ref">example plot</span></a></p></li>
<li><p>Write or update a comprehensive <a class="reference internal" href="../tutorials/index.html#tutorials"><span class="std std-ref">tutorial</span></a></p></li>
</ul>
<p>Our code is documented inline in the source code files in <code class="file docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">matplotlib/lib</span></code>.
Our website structure mirrors our folder structure, meaning that a narrative
document's URL roughly corresponds to its location in our folder structure:</p>
<div class="sd-container-fluid sd-sphinx-override sd-mb-4 docutils">
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<div class="sd-col sd-d-flex-column docutils">
<p>using the library</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p><code class="file docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">galleries/plot_types/</span></code></p></li>
<li><p><code class="file docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">users/getting_started/</span></code></p></li>
<li><p><code class="file docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">galleries/user_explain/</span></code></p></li>
<li><p><code class="file docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">galleries/tutorials/</span></code></p></li>
<li><p><code class="file docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">galleries/examples/</span></code></p></li>
<li><p><code class="file docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">doc/api/</span></code></p></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="sd-col sd-d-flex-column docutils">
<p>information about the library</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p><code class="file docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">doc/install/</span></code></p></li>
<li><p><code class="file docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">doc/project/</span></code></p></li>
<li><p><code class="file docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">doc/devel/</span></code></p></li>
<li><p><code class="file docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">doc/users/resources/index.rst</span></code></p></li>
<li><p><code class="file docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">doc/users/faq.rst</span></code></p></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>Other documentation is generated from the following external sources:</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p>matplotlib.org homepage: <a class="github reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/mpl-brochure-site">matplotlib/mpl-brochure-site</a></p></li>
<li><p>cheat sheets: <a class="github reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/cheatsheets">matplotlib/cheatsheets</a></p></li>
<li><p>third party packages: <a class="github reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/mpl-third-party">matplotlib/mpl-third-party</a></p></li>
</ul>
<p>Instructions and guidelines for contributing documentation are found in:</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p><a class="reference internal" href="document.html"><span class="doc">Write documentation</span></a></p></li>
<li><p><a class="reference internal" href="style_guide.html"><span class="doc">Documentation style guide</span></a></p></li>
<li><p><a class="reference internal" href="tag_guidelines.html"><span class="doc">Tagging guidelines</span></a></p></li>
</ul>
<p>Documentation is contributed through pull requests, so we recommend that you start
at <a class="reference internal" href="#how-to-pull-request"><span class="std std-ref">Start a pull request</span></a>. If that feels intimidating, we encourage you to
<a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues/new?assignees=&labels=Documentation&projects=&template=documentation.yml&title=%5BDoc%5D%3A+">open an issue</a> describing what improvements you would make. If you get stuck,
please reach out on the <a class="reference internal" href="#contributor-incubator"><span class="std std-ref">Contributor incubator</span></a></p>
</section>
<section id="triage">
<span id="contribute-triage"></span><h3>Triage<a class="headerlink" href="#triage" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h3>
<p>We appreciate your help keeping the <a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues">issue tracker</a>
organized because it is our centralized location for feature requests,
bug reports, tracking major projects, and discussing priorities. Some examples of what
we mean by triage are:</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p>labeling issues and pull requests</p></li>
<li><p>verifying bug reports</p></li>
<li><p>debugging and resolving issues</p></li>
<li><p>linking to related issues, discussion, and external work</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Our triage process is discussed in detail in <a class="reference internal" href="triage.html#bug-triaging"><span class="std std-ref">Bug triaging and issue curation</span></a>.</p>
<p>If you have any questions about the process, please reach out on the
<a class="reference internal" href="#contributor-incubator"><span class="std std-ref">Contributor incubator</span></a>.</p>
</section>
<section id="community">
<span id="other-ways-to-contribute"></span><h3>Community<a class="headerlink" href="#community" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h3>
<p>Matplotlib's community is built by its members, if you would like to help out
see our <a class="reference internal" href="communication_guide.html#communications-guidelines"><span class="std std-ref">Community management guide</span></a>.</p>
<p>It helps us if you spread the word: reference the project from your blog
and articles or link to it from your website!</p>
<p>If Matplotlib contributes to a project that leads to a scientific publication,
please cite us following the <a class="reference internal" href="../project/citing.html"><span class="doc">Citing Matplotlib</span></a> guidelines.</p>
<p>If you have developed an extension to Matplotlib, please consider adding it to our
<a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/mpl-third-party">third party package</a> list.</p>
</section>
</section>
<section id="use-of-generative-ai">
<span id="generative-ai"></span><h2>Use of Generative AI<a class="headerlink" href="#use-of-generative-ai" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h2>
<p>Generative AI tools are evolving rapidly and can be helpful. As with any tool,
the resulting contribution is the responsibility of the contributor. We
expect dedicated and authentic engagement in our community. In particular when
using AI, carefully consider what and how to communicate, question results,
think things through thoroughly and make well-informed decisions.</p>
<p>Some examples of acceptable and unacceptable AI uses are:</p>
<div class="sd-container-fluid sd-sphinx-override sd-mb-4 docutils">
<div class="sd-row sd-row-cols-1 sd-row-cols-xs-1 sd-row-cols-sm-1 sd-row-cols-md-2 sd-row-cols-lg-2 docutils">
<div class="sd-col sd-d-flex-column docutils">
<p><svg version="1.1" width="1.0em" height="1.0em" class="sd-octicon sd-octicon-check sd-text-success" viewBox="0 0 16 16" aria-hidden="true"><path d="M13.78 4.22a.75.75 0 0 1 0 1.06l-7.25 7.25a.75.75 0 0 1-1.06 0L2.22 9.28a.751.751 0 0 1 .018-1.042.751.751 0 0 1 1.042-.018L6 10.94l6.72-6.72a.75.75 0 0 1 1.06 0Z"></path></svg> <strong>Acceptable uses</strong></p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p>Gaining understanding of the existing code</p></li>
<li><p>Getting solution ideas</p></li>
<li><p>Translating or proof-reading your comments or PR descriptions. Please keep
the wording as close as possible to your original wording.</p></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="sd-col sd-d-flex-column docutils">
<p><svg version="1.1" width="1.0em" height="1.0em" class="sd-octicon sd-octicon-x sd-text-danger" viewBox="0 0 16 16" aria-hidden="true"><path d="M3.72 3.72a.75.75 0 0 1 1.06 0L8 6.94l3.22-3.22a.749.749 0 0 1 1.275.326.749.749 0 0 1-.215.734L9.06 8l3.22 3.22a.749.749 0 0 1-.326 1.275.749.749 0 0 1-.734-.215L8 9.06l-3.22 3.22a.751.751 0 0 1-1.042-.018.751.751 0 0 1-.018-1.042L6.94 8 3.72 4.78a.75.75 0 0 1 0-1.06Z"></path></svg> <strong>Unacceptable uses</strong></p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p>External AI tooling (e.g. bots, agents) directly interacting with the project;
including creating issues, PRs or commenting on GitHub or Discourse.</p></li>
<li><p>Solving topics that you wouldn't be able to solve yourself without AI</p></li>
<li><p>Using AI output without ensuring that you fully understand the output or
without verifying that it is the correct approach.</p></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>To ensure project health and preserve limited core developer capacity, we will flag
and reject low-value contributions that we believe are AI generated. We may ban
and/or report users to GitHub if they harm the project or its community through
irresponsible use of AI.</p>
</section>
<section id="new-contributors">
<span id="id1"></span><h2>New contributors<a class="headerlink" href="#new-contributors" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h2>
<p>Everyone comes to the project from a different place — in terms of experience
and interest — so there is no one-size-fits-all path to getting involved. We
recommend looking at existing issue or pull request discussions, and following
the conversations during pull request reviews to get context. Or you can
deep-dive into a subset of the code-base to understand what is going on.</p>
<section id="new-contributors-meeting">
<span id="id2"></span><h3>New contributors meeting<a class="headerlink" href="#new-contributors-meeting" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h3>
<p>Once a month, we host a meeting to discuss topics that interest new
contributors. Anyone can attend, present, or sit in and listen to the call.
Among our attendees are fellow new contributors, as well as maintainers, and
veteran contributors, who are keen to support onboarding of new folks and
share their experience. You can find our community calendar link at the
<a class="reference external" href="https://scientific-python.org/calendars/">Scientific Python website</a>, and
you can browse previous meeting notes on <a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/ProjectManagement/tree/master/new_contributor_meeting">GitHub</a>.
We recommend joining the meeting to clarify any doubts, or lingering
questions you might have, and to get to know a few of the people behind the
GitHub handles 😉. You can reach out to us on <a class="reference external" href="https://discourse.matplotlib.org/chat/c/incubator/4">incubator chat</a> for any
clarifications or suggestions. We ❤ feedback!</p>
</section>
<section id="contributor-incubator">
<span id="id3"></span><h3>Contributor incubator<a class="headerlink" href="#contributor-incubator" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h3>
<p>The incubator is our non-public communication channel for new contributors. It
is a public chat room on <a class="reference external" href="https://discourse.matplotlib.org/">Discourse</a> moderated by core Matplotlib developers
where you can get guidance and support for your first few PRs. It's a place
where you can ask questions about anything: how to use git, GitHub, how our PR
review process works, technical questions about the code, what makes for good
documentation or a blog post, how to get involved in community work, or get a
"pre-review" on your PR.</p>
<p>To join, go to <a class="reference external" href="https://discourse.matplotlib.org/">Discourse</a> and click on the chat bubble icon next to the search
icon at the top right of the page. Then, find the "Incubator" channel.</p>
</section>
<section id="good-first-issues">
<span id="id5"></span><h3>Good first issues<a class="headerlink" href="#good-first-issues" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h3>
<p>We have marked some issues as <a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/labels/good%20first%20issue">good first issue</a> because we
think they are a good entry point into the process of contributing to Matplotlib. These
issues are well documented, do not require a deep understanding of the internals of
Matplotlib, and do not need urgent resolution. Good first issues are intended to onboard
newcomers with a genuine interest in improving Matplotlib, in the hopes that they will
continue to participate in our development community; therefore, pull requests that are
<a class="reference internal" href="#generative-ai"><span class="std std-ref">AI generated</span></a> will be closed.</p>
</section>
<section id="first-contributions">
<span id="first-contribution"></span><h3>First contributions<a class="headerlink" href="#first-contributions" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h3>
<p>If this is your first open source contribution, or your first time contributing to Matplotlib,
and you need help or guidance finding a good first issue, look no further. This section will
guide you through each step:</p>
<ol class="arabic simple">
<li><p>Navigate to the <a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues/">issues page</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>Filter labels with <a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/labels/Difficulty%3A%20Easy">"Difficulty: Easy"</a>
& <a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/labels/good%20first%20issue">"Good first Issue"</a> (optional).</p></li>
<li><p>Click on an issue you would like to work on, and check to see if the issue has a pull request opened to resolve it.</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p>A good way to judge if you chose a suitable issue is by asking yourself, "Can I
independently submit a PR in a reasonable time frame?" This should (at most)
be a few days for an easy issue. If it takes longer, let us know why.</p></li>
<li><p>If you are new to open source, we strongly recommend that you do not choose a
complicated issue for your first contribution - please ask in the incubator
channel if you need help gauging the complexity of the work.</p></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><p>Check existing pull requests (e.g., <a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/pull/28476/">PR #28476</a>) and filter by the issue number to make sure the issue is not in progress:</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p>If the issue has a pull request (is in progress), tag the user working on the issue, and ask to collaborate (optional).</p></li>
<li><p>If there is no pull request, <a class="reference internal" href="#how-to-pull-request"><span class="std std-ref">create a new pull request</span></a>.</p></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><p>Please familiarize yourself with the pull request template (see below),
and ensure you understand/are able to complete the template when you open your pull request.
Additional information can be found in the <a class="reference external" href="https://matplotlib.org/devdocs/devel/pr_guide.html">pull request guidelines</a>.</p></li>
</ol>
<div class="admonition important">
<p class="admonition-title">Important</p>
<p>Make sure you finish addressing any review comments on your first PR and wait
for it to be merged (or closed) before opening a new one. It can be a valuable
learning experience to go through the review process and to get feedback on
your contribution, while also helping maintainers spend their time
effectively.</p>
</div>
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<span class="sd-summary-text"><a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/blob/main/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md">Pull request template</a></span><span class="sd-summary-state-marker sd-summary-chevron-right"><svg version="1.1" width="1.5em" height="1.5em" class="sd-octicon sd-octicon-chevron-right" viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-hidden="true"><path d="M8.72 18.78a.75.75 0 0 1 0-1.06L14.44 12 8.72 6.28a.751.751 0 0 1 .018-1.042.751.751 0 0 1 1.042-.018l6.25 6.25a.75.75 0 0 1 0 1.06l-6.25 6.25a.75.75 0 0 1-1.06 0Z"></path></svg></span></summary><div class="sd-summary-content sd-card-body docutils">
<div class="highlight-markdown notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><!--
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<span class="gu">## PR summary</span>
<!-- Please describe the pull request, using the questions below as guidance, and link to any relevant issues and PRs:
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<span class="k">-</span><span class="w"> </span>What problem does it solve?
<span class="k">-</span><span class="w"> </span>What is the reasoning for this implementation?
Additionally, please summarize the changes in the title, for example "Raise ValueError on
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<span class="k">- [ ]</span> "closes <span class="ni">#0000</span>" is in the body of the PR description to [<span class="nt">link the related issue</span>](<span class="na">https://docs.github.com/en/issues/tracking-your-work-with-issues/linking-a-pull-request-to-an-issue</span>)
<span class="k">- [ ]</span> new and changed code is [<span class="nt">tested</span>](<span class="na">https://matplotlib.org/devdocs/devel/testing.html</span>)
<span class="k">- [ ]</span> <span class="ge">*Plotting related*</span> features are demonstrated in an [<span class="nt">example</span>](<span class="na">https://matplotlib.org/devdocs/devel/document.html#write-examples-and-tutorials</span>)
<span class="k">- [ ]</span> <span class="ge">*New Features*</span> and <span class="ge">*API Changes*</span> are noted with a [<span class="nt">directive and release note</span>](<span class="na">https://matplotlib.org/devdocs/devel/api_changes.html#announce-changes-deprecations-and-new-features</span>)
<span class="k">- [ ]</span> Documentation complies with [<span class="nt">general</span>](<span class="na">https://matplotlib.org/devdocs/devel/document.html#write-rest-pages</span>) and [<span class="nt">docstring</span>](<span class="na">https://matplotlib.org/devdocs/devel/document.html#write-docstrings</span>) guidelines
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</pre></div>
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</div>
</details></section>
</section>
<section id="get-connected">
<span id="id7"></span><h2>Get connected<a class="headerlink" href="#get-connected" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h2>
<p>When in doubt, we recommend going together! Get connected with our community of
active contributors, many of whom felt just like you when they started out and
are happy to welcome you and support you as you get to know how we work, and
where things are. You can reach out on any of our <a class="reference internal" href="communication_guide.html#communication-channels"><span class="std std-ref">Official project platforms</span></a>,
including the chat space on <a class="reference external" href="https://discourse.matplotlib.org/">Discourse</a>. For development questions we recommend
reaching out on our <a class="reference external" href="https://discourse.matplotlib.org/chat/c/matplotlib/2">development chat</a> and for community questions reach out at
the <a class="reference external" href="https://discourse.matplotlib.org/chat/c/community/3">community chat</a>.</p>
</section>
<section id="choose-an-issue">
<span id="managing-issues-prs"></span><h2>Choose an issue<a class="headerlink" href="#choose-an-issue" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h2>
<p>In general, the Matplotlib project does not assign issues. Issues are
"assigned" or "claimed" by opening a PR; there is no other assignment
mechanism. If you have opened such a PR, please comment on the issue thread to
avoid duplication of work. Please check if there is an existing PR for the
issue you are addressing. If there is, try to work with the author by
submitting reviews of their code or commenting on the PR rather than opening
a new PR; duplicate PRs are subject to being closed. However, if the existing
PR is an outline, unlikely to work, or stalled, and the original author is
unresponsive, feel free to open a new PR referencing the old one.</p>
<section id="difficulty">
<h3>Difficulty<a class="headerlink" href="#difficulty" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h3>
<p>Issues may additionally be tagged with a difficulty. <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Difficulty:</span> <span class="pre">Easy</span></code> is suitable
for people with beginner scientific Python experience, i.e. fluency with Python syntax
and some experience using libraries like Numpy, Pandas, or Xarray. <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Difficulty:</span> <span class="pre">Medium</span></code>
and <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Difficulty:</span> <span class="pre">Hard</span></code> require more programming experience. This could be for a variety
of reasons, for example:</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p>requires understanding intermediate to advanced Python features, such as decorators,
context managers, or meta-programming</p></li>
<li><p>is in areas of the code base which have more interdependencies or is legacy code.</p></li>
<li><p>involves complex or significant changes to algorithms or architecture.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Generally, the difficulty level is correlated with how much conceptual (and contextual)
understanding of Matplotlib is required to resolve it.</p>
</section>
</section>
<section id="start-a-pull-request">
<span id="how-to-pull-request"></span><h2>Start a pull request<a class="headerlink" href="#start-a-pull-request" title="Link to this heading">#</a></h2>
<p>The preferred way to contribute to Matplotlib is to fork the <a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/">main
repository</a> on GitHub,
then submit a "pull request" (PR). To work on a pull request:</p>
<ol class="arabic simple">
<li><p><strong>First</strong> set up a development environment, either by cloning a copy of the
Matplotlib repository to your own computer or by using Github codespaces, by
following the instructions in <a class="reference internal" href="development_setup.html#installing-for-devs"><span class="std std-ref">Development setup</span></a></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Then</strong> start solving the issue, following the guidance in
<a class="reference internal" href="development_workflow.html#development-workflow"><span class="std std-ref">development workflow</span></a></p></li>
<li><p><strong>As part of verifying your changes</strong> check that your contribution meets
the <a class="reference internal" href="pr_guide.html#pr-author-guidelines"><span class="std std-ref">pull request guidelines</span></a>
and then <a class="reference internal" href="development_workflow.html#open-pull-request"><span class="std std-ref">open a pull request</span></a>.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Finally</strong> follow up with maintainers on the PR if waiting more than a few days for
feedback. <a class="reference internal" href="development_workflow.html#update-pull-request"><span class="std std-ref">Update the pull request</span></a> as needed.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>If you have questions of any sort, reach out on the <a class="reference internal" href="#contributor-incubator"><span class="std std-ref">Contributor incubator</span></a> and join
the <a class="reference internal" href="#new-contributors-meeting"><span class="std std-ref">New contributors meeting</span></a>.</p>
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