If you are having trouble running console `Tidy`, or using the `LibTidy` API in your own project, then maybe the best places to get help is either via a comment in [Tidy Issues](https://github.com/htacg/tidy-html5/issues), or on the [Tidy Mail Archive](https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/html-tidy/) list.
In either place please start with a short subject to describe the issue. If it involves running Tidy on an html file, or if it’s an API question, make sure to include:
These data will make replication of your issue much simpler for us.
If you do add sample HTML input, then it can also be very helpful if that sample **passes** the W3C [validator](https://validator.w3.org/#validate_by_upload). Tidy attempts to follow all current W3C standards.
If you are able to build tidy from [source](https://github.com/htacg/tidy-html5) (requires [CMake](https://cmake.org/download/)), and you can find the problem in the source code, then read on about how you can create a Pull Request (“PR”) to share your code and ideas.
If you have a more deeply-rooted problem with how the program is built or some of the stylistic decisions made in the code, it is best to [create an issue](https://github.com/htacg/tidy-html5/issues/new) before putting the effort into a pull request. The same goes for new features - it might be best to check the project's direction, existing pull requests, and currently open and closed issues first.
Concerning the “Tidy Code Style,” checkout [CODESTYLE.md](CODESTYLE.md), but looking at existing code is the best way to get a good feel for the patterns we use.
Item 2., SSH Key, is optional, and only required if you want to use `clone git@github.com...`. And if you generate the ssh without a `passphrase`, things like `git push` can be done without a password. Just convenience. Alternatively you can use the `HTTPS` protocol...
Concerning 5., editing and committing your changes, **generally** it is better to `commit` changes often, adding an appropriate commit message to each. This also aids in the PR review. But the situation varies. Like adding say an option, which can mean several files have to be edited, where it is likely appropriate to combine a considerable number of edits into one commit. There can be no hard and fast rules on this.
Please note, if you want to change **multiple** things that don't depend on each other, use **different**`branches`, and make sure you check the `next` branch back out, before making more changes in a **new** branch. That way we can take in each change separately, otherwise Github will combine all your branch commits into one PR. And see below on keeping your `next` fully in sync with here - this is **important**.
This has to be repeated for other branches, too. `$ git checkout <your-branch>`, `$ git rebase next`, fix conflict, if any, and `$ git push`, for each branch. It is not fun to keep multiple `branches` fully up-to-date with an active `upstream`...
Of course, the **regression** tests, 6., are really only if you have made `code` changes, but it is a good habit to get into. As can be seen the `tests` are in a **separate** repo, so you must also clone that. This is best done in the same `root` folder where where you cloned `tidy-html5`.
If the `testall.sh` shows a different exit value, or there are differences between the `expects` and `results` these **must** be studied, checked very carefully. There may be cases where the **new**`results` are correct, in which case a simultaneous PR for the tests must be created to match your source PR.