WE VALUE YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS

Our goal in publishing these documents was to create a complete, clear, and correct repository of guides to help DataBC Program contributors and consumers. We welcome your contributions!

This page describes two mechanisms for providing input on the documentation published on this site:

  • reporting errors in the documentation, and
  • suggesting additions to existing pages or
  • the addition of new pages.

Table of Contents

REPORTING ISSUES WITH THE DOCUMENTATION

If you would like to point out an error or make a comment on the content, this can most easily be done by creating an issue:

  1. Click the Issues tab.
  2. Click the New issue button.
  3. Enter a Title that is brief to describe the issue.
  4. Enter a Description of the issue and what URL it is on.
  5. Click the Submit new issue button.

CHANGING PAGES OR ADDING NEW ONES

You can add new pages or replace existing ones by going through the process outlined in the following sections.

How to Access GitHub

You will need a user id for https://github.com. You can get one by going to that website and clicking on the “Sign up for GitHub” button.

For BC Government employees read the BC Policy Framework For GitHub.

How to Download a Git Client

Download a git client from https://git-scm.com/download. You will use the “git” command to do most of your work

How to Clone the bcgov/data-publication Repository

  1. Log into github.com and navigate to https://github.com/data-publication
  2. Click the Fork button in the upper right.
    1. A pop-up may appears with the question Where should we fork data-publication, click on your userid.

A copy of the data-publication will now be in your repository, e.g., userid/data-publication

How to Pull down a Repository to a File System

  1. Copy the repo URL to your clipboard:
    1. Click the Code button.
    2. Click the clipboard image clipboard_image as this copies the URL listed beside it
  2. On your workstation, create a new directory to store and modify the repository files.
  3. Either using a program of your choice or open a DOS/PowerShell to that directory.
  4. Enter the command to create a data-publication subdirectory: 
     git clone <paste the URL from your clipboard>
  5. Enter the following commands to move to and sync content from the master repository: 
    cd data-publication
git remote add --track master upstream git://github.com/bcgov/data-publication.git
git fetch upstream
git merge upstream/master

    If both are in sync the follow message will display “Already up to date”.

How to Create or Change Pages

  1. Fork the repository as described above.
  2. If any significant time has passed since you downloaded the files in the last section, you should make sure that your copy of the repository is up to date with the contents of the master bcgov/data-publication repository.

To do this, issue the following to commands:

   git fetch upstream
   git merge upstream/master
  1. Using a text editor make changes to the markdown (.md) files, add new markdown files, etc.
  2. Any images should be stored in the images subdirectory.

How to Push to GitHub

Your changes, additions, etc. on your local filesystem copy now have to be transferred up to your fork on GitHub. Do this by executing the following commands:

git add -A
git commit -m "briefDescriptionOfTheChanges"
git push

How to Issue a Pull Request

  1. Open or refresh your repository in a browser.
    1. There will be a note saying your This branch is X commits ahead of bcgov:master.
  2. Click the Pull request button beside this.
    1. This page will show the change comparison.
  3. Click the Create pull request button.
  4. Enter a Title that is brief to describe the changes.
  5. Enter a Description of the changes made.
  6. Click the final Create pull request button.

DataBC will review and either incorporate your changes or contact you if there is a reason the changes cannot be incorporated.

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