Contribution Guide

Relevant source files

The following files were used as context for generating this wiki page:

• CONTRIBUTING.md
• README.md
• scripts/release.ts
• scripts/update-changelog.ts
• scripts/_utils.ts

This guide outlines the technical procedures and standards for contributing to the Nuxt framework. Nuxt is an open-source framework built on Vue.js, and it relies on a monorepo structure to manage its core components, toolkit, and bundler integrations.

Contributions are managed through a structured process involving local environment setup, adherence to commit conventions, and automated release scripts.

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:1-5, README.md:16-19

Development Environment Setup

To contribute to the Nuxt framework, developers must set up a local development environment. The project utilizes pnpm with Corepack enabled to manage dependencies across the monorepo.

Setup Workflow

1. Fork and Clone: Fork the nuxt/nuxt repository and clone it to your local machine.
2. Environment Requirements: Ensure the latest Node.js version is installed and enable Corepack using corepack enable.
3. Install Dependencies: Run pnpm install --frozen-lockfile to ensure a consistent dependency state.
4. Initialization: Execute pnpm dev:prepare to configure the development environment.
5. Feature Branching: Create a new branch for the contribution using git checkout -b my-new-branch.

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:9-15, README.md:76-78

Development Commands

The following commands are essential for maintaining code quality during development:

Command	Description
pnpm dev	Runs the playground for real-time testing.
pnpm test	Executes the test suite via Vitest.
pnpm lint	Checks the codebase for linting errors.
pnpm lint --fix	Automatically repairs fixable linting issues.

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:32-37

Monorepo Architecture

The Nuxt project is organized into several specialized packages. Understanding this structure is critical for scoping contributions and applying correct commit tags.

Package	Description	Exported Name
packages/kit	Toolkit for authoring Nuxt modules.	@nuxt/kit
packages/nuxt	The core framework logic.	nuxt
packages/schema	Type definitions and default configurations.	@nuxt/schema
packages/vite	Vite-based bundler integration.	@nuxt/vite-builder
packages/webpack	Webpack-based bundler integration.	@nuxt/webpack-builder
packages/rspack	Rspack-based bundler integration.	@nuxt/rspack-builder

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:17-23

Contribution Standards

Git Commit Conventions

Nuxt follows the Conventional Commits specification. This ensures that changelogs can be generated automatically and that the scope of changes is clear.

• fix: for bug fixes.
• feat: for new features.
• docs: for documentation updates.
• chore: for maintenance or typo fixes.
• Scoping: Monorepo commits should be scoped to their package, e.g., feat(kit): add utility.

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:29-30

AI-Assisted Contributions

Nuxt allows the use of AI tools under two core principles:

1. No Delegated Communication: All descriptions and comments must reflect the contributor's own understanding.
2. No Delegated Logic: Contributors must fully understand and be able to explain the code they submit.

Automated agents can opt-in to a fast-track process by adding 🤖🤖🤖 to the end of PR or issue titles.

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:39-50

Release and Maintenance Automation

The repository includes specialized scripts to manage releases and changelog updates. These scripts automate version bumping, workspace management, and npm publishing.

Release Process Flow

The release script handles both regular and nightly releases. It utilizes GitHub OIDC tokens for trusted publishing to the npm registry.

Changelog Automation

The scripts/update-changelog.ts script automates the generation of release notes by parsing commits since the last tag.

Workspace Management Utilities

Internal utilities in scripts/_utils.ts manage package-to-package dependencies within the monorepo.

• loadWorkspace(dir): Scans the packages/ directory and docs/ to build a map of available packages.
• setVersion(name, version, opts): Updates the version of a specific package and optionally updates all internal references to that package in other workspace members.
• determineBumpType(since): Analyzes commit history to decide if a patch, minor, or major version increase is required based on conventional commit types.

Sources: scripts/_utils.ts:51-112

Summary

Contributors to Nuxt must follow a standardized workflow involving a specific monorepo package structure, conventional commit messages, and a reliance on automated scripts for versioning and publishing. This rigorous structure ensures the stability and consistency of the framework as it evolves.