Contributing Guide

Relevant source files

The following files were used as context for generating this wiki page: - [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/pr-pm/prpm/blob/HEAD/CONTRIBUTING.md) - [DOCUMENTATION_MAP.md](https://github.com/pr-pm/prpm/blob/HEAD/DOCUMENTATION_MAP.md) - [packages/webapp/src/app/blog/openskills-cross-ide-compatibility/page.tsx](https://github.com/pr-pm/prpm/blob/HEAD/packages/webapp/src/app/blog/openskills-cross-ide-compatibility/page.tsx) - [packages/webapp/public/legal/ACCEPTABLE_USE_POLICY.md](https://github.com/pr-pm/prpm/blob/HEAD/packages/webapp/public/legal/ACCEPTABLE_USE_POLICY.md) - [packages/converters/schemas/README.md](https://github.com/pr-pm/prpm/blob/HEAD/packages/converters/schemas/README.md) - [packages/webapp/src/app/blog/prpm-complete-feature-guide/page.tsx](https://github.com/pr-pm/prpm/blob/HEAD/packages/webapp/src/app/blog/prpm-complete-feature-guide/page.tsx) - [AGENTS.md](https://github.com/pr-pm/prpm/blob/HEAD/AGENTS.md) - [CLAUDE.md](https://github.com/pr-pm/prpm/blob/HEAD/CLAUDE.md) - [packages/webapp/src/app/blog/agents-md-deep-dive/page.tsx](https://github.com/pr-pm/prpm/blob/HEAD/packages/webapp/src/app/blog/agents-md-deep-dive/page.tsx)

This guide provides instructions for contributing to the Prompt Package Manager (PRPM) project. Contributions can range from submitting new packages and creating collections to improving the core codebase and writing documentation.

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:3-4

Ways to Contribute

There are four primary ways to contribute to the PRPM ecosystem.

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:6-7

1. Submit Packages

The most common way to contribute is by sharing your AI prompts, rules, skills, or agents with the community. PRPM supports a wide variety of formats from different AI IDEs.

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:9-11, packages/webapp/src/app/blog/write-once-distribute-everywhere/page.tsx:21-23

Quick Start for Publishing

The following diagram shows the high-level steps to publish a package.

The commands are as follows:

# Install PRPM
npm install -g prpm

# Login to the registry
prpm login

# Publish your package
prpm publish

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:15-20

Package Structure

Each package requires a package.prpm.json manifest file to define its metadata.

{
  "name": "my-awesome-rule",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "A helpful Cursor rule for...",
  "type": "cursor",
  "category": "code-quality",
  "tags": ["typescript", "testing", "best-practices"],
  "author": "your-username",
  "license": "MIT",
  "content": "./rule.md"
}

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:24-36

Supported Types and Categories

PRPM supports multiple package types and has a defined set of categories for organization.

Type	Description
cursor	Cursor IDE rules (.cursorrules)
agent	Claude Code agents
skill	Claude skills
continue	Continue prompts
windsurf	Windsurf rules
mcp	MCP servers

Category	Description
code-quality	Linting, formatting, best practices
testing	TDD, test patterns, coverage
debugging	Systematic debugging workflows
architecture	Design patterns, system design
security	Security best practices
performance	Optimization techniques
documentation	Doc generation, comments
framework	Framework-specific (React, Next.js, etc.)
general	General-purpose prompts

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:38-58

2. Create Collections

Collections allow you to bundle related packages into a single, installable unit for complete workflow setups.

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:60-62

Example collection.prpm.json:

{
  "scope": "@collection",
  "id": "nextjs-pro",
  "name": "Next.js Professional Setup",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "Complete Next.js development environment",
  "category": "frontend",
  "packages": [
    {
      "id": "react-best-practices",
      "version": "^1.0.0",
      "required": true
    },
    {
      "id": "typescript-strict",
      "version": "^1.0.0",
      "required": true
    },
    {
      "id": "tailwind-helper",
      "version": "^1.0.0",
      "required": false
    }
  ]
}

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:66-89

3. Improve Core Code

Contributions to the core PRPM CLI, registry, or format converters are welcome. This requires setting up the local development environment.

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:91-93

Development Setup

The following diagram outlines the local development setup process.

The setup commands are:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/pr-pm/prpm.git
cd prompt-package-manager

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build all packages
npm run build

# Start Docker services (PostgreSQL, Redis, MinIO)
docker compose up -d

# Run tests
npm test

# Start development
npm run dev:cli     # CLI development
npm run dev:registry # Registry server

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:97-109

Project Structure

The monorepo is organized into several key packages.

This diagram shows the main directories within the prompt-package-manager repository.
Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:154-162

4. Write Documentation

Improving guides, examples, and API documentation is a valuable contribution. You can find a map of the documentation structure in DOCUMENTATION_MAP.md.

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:164-170, DOCUMENTATION_MAP.md

Tool Composition: OpenSkills and Ruler

PRPM leverages a composition pattern with OpenSkills and Ruler to achieve cross-IDE compatibility without requiring native support for every format. This approach splices portable skill content into a universal AGENTS.md file.

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:111-114, packages/webapp/src/app/blog/openskills-cross-ide-compatibility/page.tsx:40-46

The workflow is as follows:

1. Generate/Acquire Content: Get OpenSkills content, which is markdown with lightweight frontmatter.
2. Save to Ruler Directory: Place the content in a .ruler/ directory (e.g., .ruler/openskills.md).
3. Splice with Ruler: Ruler automatically combines all .ruler/*.md files into a single AGENTS.md file.
4. Universal Compatibility: The resulting AGENTS.md works in any tool that supports this open standard, such as Cursor, Windsurf, and Continue.

This diagram illustrates the composition pattern.

Testing Guidelines

The project has specific commands for running different test suites.

• CLI Tests: cd packages/cli && npm test
• Registry Tests: cd packages/registry && npm test
• E2E Tests:
  1. docker compose up -d (from project root)
  2. cd packages/registry && npm run migrate
  3. npm run test:e2e (from project root)

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:174-189

Code Quality and Standards

Naming Conventions

Element	Convention	Example
Files	kebab-case	install-command.ts
Classes	PascalCase	PackageManager
Functions	camelCase	installPackage
Constants	UPPER_SNAKE_CASE	DEFAULT_REGISTRY

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:197-203

Commit Messages

Commit messages must follow the conventional commits specification.

feat: add collections support to CLI
fix: resolve package conflict errors
docs: update installation guide
test: add E2E tests for search
chore: update dependencies

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:205-212

Package Submission and Review

Quality Standards

✅ Good Package	❌ Rejected Package
Clear, descriptive name	Malicious code
Helpful description	Copyright violations
Proper categorization	Duplicate submissions
Tested and working	Spam or low-quality
Well-documented	Offensive content
Appropriate license

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:219-231, [packages/webapp/public/legal/ACCEPTABLE_USE_POLICY.md:121-137]

Review Process

The package review process involves automated checks and manual review before a package is published to the registry.

This diagram shows the package review flow.

Security

Security is a critical aspect of the project. Vulnerabilities must be reported privately.

• Reporting: Report vulnerabilities privately to security@prpm.dev.
• Prohibited Actions: Do not commit API keys or secrets, expose user data, include malicious code, or violate package licenses.

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:214-217, [packages/webapp/public/legal/ACCEPTABLE_USE_POLICY.md:211-214]

Getting Help

For questions, bug reports, or discussions, use the following channels:

• GitHub Issues: For bug reports and feature requests.
• Discussions: For questions, ideas, and community chat.
• Twitter: @prpmdev for updates.
• Email: support@prpm.dev for support.

Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:251-256