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Contributing to Pico HTTP Server

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Pico HTTP Server! This document provides guidelines for contributing to the project.

Code of Conduct

  • Be respectful and considerate in all interactions
  • Provide constructive feedback
  • Focus on what is best for the community
  • Show empathy towards other community members

How to Contribute

Reporting Bugs

Before creating a bug report, please check existing issues to avoid duplicates.

When reporting bugs, include:

  • Operating system and version
  • Compiler version (gcc/clang)
  • Steps to reproduce the issue
  • Expected vs actual behavior
  • Any relevant error messages or logs

Suggesting Enhancements

Enhancement suggestions are welcome! Please provide:

  • Clear description of the feature
  • Use case and motivation
  • Example implementation if possible
  • Potential impact on existing functionality

Pull Requests

  1. Fork the repository and create your branch from master
  2. Write clear, concise commit messages
    • Use present tense ("Add feature" not "Added feature")
    • First line should be 50 chars or less
    • Add detailed description after blank line if needed
  3. Follow the existing code style
    • Use 2-space indentation
    • Keep functions focused and small
    • Add comments for complex logic
  4. Test your changes
    • Ensure the server compiles without warnings
    • Test basic functionality (GET, POST, static files)
    • Check for memory leaks with valgrind
  5. Update documentation if adding new features
  6. Ensure no security vulnerabilities are introduced

Development Setup

Prerequisites

  • GCC or Clang
  • GNU Make
  • Git
  • Optional: valgrind for memory leak detection

Building

git clone <repository-url>
cd pico
make

Testing

# Start server
./server 8000

# In another terminal, test endpoints
curl http://localhost:8000/
curl http://localhost:8000/test
curl -X POST -d "test data" http://localhost:8000/

# Memory leak check
valgrind --leak-check=full ./server 8000

Code Style Guidelines

C Code

  • Indentation: 2 spaces (no tabs)
  • Line length: Try to keep under 80 characters
  • Braces: K&R style 
    if (condition) {
  // code
} else {
  // code
}
  • Naming:
    • Functions: snake_case
    • Variables: snake_case
    • Macros/Constants: UPPER_CASE
    • Types: snake_case_t
  • Comments: Use // for single-line, /* */ for multi-line
  • Doxygen: Add documentation for public functions

Example

/**
 * @brief Parse HTTP request headers
 * 
 * @param buffer Raw request buffer
 * @param size Buffer size
 * @return Number of headers parsed
 */
int parse_headers(const char *buffer, size_t size) {
  if (!buffer || size == 0) {
    return -1;
  }
  
  // Implementation here
  return 0;
}

Security Considerations

When contributing, please ensure:

  • No buffer overflows: Always use size-limited functions (snprintf, strncpy)
  • Input validation: Validate all user input
  • No format string vulnerabilities: Use proper printf formatting
  • Path traversal protection: Validate file paths
  • NULL pointer checks: Check all pointer returns
  • Resource cleanup: Free allocated memory, close file descriptors

Testing Checklist

Before submitting a PR:

  • Code compiles without warnings (make)
  • No memory leaks (check with valgrind)
  • GET requests work correctly
  • POST requests work correctly
  • Static file serving works
  • 404 errors handled properly
  • Path traversal attacks blocked
  • Graceful shutdown (Ctrl+C) works
  • Documentation updated
  • Comments added for complex code

Questions?

If you have questions, feel free to:

  • Open an issue for discussion
  • Ask in pull request comments
  • Check existing documentation

License

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the MIT License.