CONTRIBUTING.md

Contributing to Access Layer Server

Thanks for contributing to the backend for Access Layer, a Stellar-native creator keys marketplace.

Before you start

• Read the README for context.
• Review the Backend Domain Model and Endpoint Boundaries.
• Review the scoped backlog in docs/open-source/issue-backlog.md.
• Keep pull requests limited to one backend issue or one documentation improvement.
• Open a discussion before changing core API shape or background processing architecture.

Local setup

1. Install Node.js 20+ and pnpm.
2. Copy .env.example to .env.
3. Install dependencies:

pnpm install

4. Generate Prisma client:

pnpm exec prisma generate

5. Start the dev server:

pnpm dev

6. (Optional) Seed deterministic local data — three users with wallets and creator profiles, sufficient to exercise list, read, and ownership-gated write flows:

pnpm exec ts-node prisma/seed.ts

See docs/contributor-seed.md for the full fixture catalogue, reset workflow, and example requests.

Verification commands

pnpm lint
pnpm build

Run pnpm exec prisma generate again whenever Prisma schema changes.

Backend contribution rules

• Do not commit secrets, service accounts, or live credentials.
• Use .env.example for safe placeholders only.
• Keep API contracts explicit and documented.
• Prefer clear domain names tied to Access Layer, not legacy template modules.
• Add validation and error-handling behavior when introducing new endpoints.

Good first issue guidance

Good first issues in this repo should:

• avoid production credentials or third-party account dependencies
• have a narrow API or documentation scope
• include acceptance criteria and test instructions
• avoid broad data model refactors

Questions

If repo boundaries are unclear, confirm whether the work belongs in the client, server, or contracts repository before starting implementation.