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CONTRIBUTING.md

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+# Contributing to Markitecture
+
+👋 Welcome, thank you for considering contributing to Markitecture! Happy to have you join our community. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps make Markitecture better for everyone.
+
+This document outlines how to contribute to the project and the standards we follow. Please take a few moments to read through it before submitting your first contribution.
+
+## How You Can Contribute
+
+There are many ways you can contribute to Markitecture:
+
+*   **🐛 Report Bugs:** Found a bug? Let us know by opening a [new issue][issues]. Please provide a clear description of the issue, including steps to reproduce it, your operating system, Python version, and Markitecture version.
+*   **✨ Suggest Enhancements:** Have an idea for a new feature or improvement? We'd love to hear it! Open a [new issue][issues] and describe your suggestion.
+*   **📖 Improve Documentation:** Help us make the documentation clearer, more comprehensive, or more accurate.
+*   **🛠️ Contribute Code:** Contribute new features, fix bugs, or improve existing code.
+*   **📣 Spread the Word:** Share Markitecture with others who might find it useful!
+
+## Getting Started
+
+Here's how to get started with contributing code or documentation:
+
+1.  **Fork the Repository:** Start by forking the [Markitecture repository][markitecture] on GitHub (or your chosen platform).
+
+2.  **Clone Your Fork:** Clone your forked repository to your local machine:
+
+    ```bash
+    git clone https://github.com/eli64s/markitecture.git
+    cd markitecture
+    ```
+
+3.  **Create a Branch:** Create a new branch for your changes:
+
+    ```bash
+    git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
+    ```
+
+    Use a descriptive branch name that reflects your changes (e.g., `bugfix/link-validation-edge-case`, `feature/new-feature`, `docs/update-readme`). This will help you and others easily identify the purpose of the branch.
+
+4.  **Set Up Your Development Environment:**
+
+    Follow these steps to get a development version of Markitecture up and running:
+
+    1.  **Create a virtual environment:**
+
+        ```bash
+        make venv
+        ```
+
+    2.  **Install project dependencies:**
+
+        ```bash
+        make install
+        make lock
+        ```
+
+    3.  **Install pre-commit hooks:**
+
+        ```bash
+        pre-commit install
+        ```
+
+5.  **Make Your Changes:** Implement your bug fix, feature, or documentation update.
+
+6.  **Test Your Changes:** Ensure your changes don't break existing functionality by running the tests:
+
+    ```bash
+    make test
+    ```
+
+7.  **Commit Your Changes:** Commit your changes with clear and concise commit messages:
+
+    ```bash
+    git commit -m "fix: Resolved issue with link validation"
+    ```
+
+8.  **Push to Your Fork:** Push your branch to your forked repository:
+
+    ```bash
+    git push origin feature/your-feature-name
+    ```
+
+9.  **Open a Pull Request:** Go to the original Markitecture repository and open a pull request from your branch. Provide a clear description of your changes in the pull request.
+
+## Code Style and Standards
+
+*   We adhere to the [PEP 8](https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008/) style guide for Python code.
+*   We use `ruff` for code formatting and linting. You can run it locally before committing:
+
+    ```bash
+    make format-and-lint
+    ```
+*   Add tests for any new features or bug fixes.
+*   Document any new or changed functionality in the code using docstrings and, if necessary, update the user-facing documentation.
+*   Keep your code clean, well-commented, and easy to understand.
+
+## Code of Conduct
+
+We expect all contributors to follow our [Code of Conduct]([link to your Code of Conduct - e.g., CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md]). Please be respectful and considerate of others in all your interactions within the project.
+
+## Pull Request Process
+
+1.  We'll review your pull request as soon as possible.
+2.  We may suggest changes or improvements. We encourage open feedback and collaboration.
+3.  Once your pull request is approved, it will be merged into the `main` branch.
+
+## Questions and Support
+
+If you have any questions or need help with contributing, please don't hesitate to:
+
+*   Open an [issue][issues] in the project's issue tracker.
+*   Join our [discussion forum][discussions] and ask your question there.
+
+We appreciate your contributions and look forward to collaborating with you!
+
+---
+
+**Cheers!**
+
+The Markitecture Team
+
+<!-- REFERENCE LINKS -->
+[discussions]: https://github.com/eli64s/markitecture/discussions
+[issues]: https://github.com/eli64s/markitecture/issues
+[markitecture]: https://github.com/eli64s/markitecture/