(#80) Add Testing Guidelines to CONTRIBUTING and Documentation

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -37,7 +37,38 @@ Please ensure your code follows the project's coding standards. Use PEP 8 as a g
 
 ### Testing
 
-Ensure that your code changes do not break existing tests and write new tests for new functionality. Run all tests to verify.
+Before submitting a pull request, ensure that your changes pass all the tests and do not introduce any regressions. Here's how to test your changes:
+
+1. **Set up your environment**:
+    - Install all necessary dependencies from `requirements.txt`:
+      ```bash
+      pip install -r requirements.txt
+      ```
+    - Install any additional developer dependencies:
+      ```bash
+      pip install pytest pytest-cov
+      ```
+
+2. **Run the tests**:
+    - Execute the test suite using `pytest`:
+      ```bash
+      pytest
+      ```
+    - Verify that all tests pass without errors.
+
+3. **Check code coverage**:
+    - Run tests with coverage reporting:
+      ```bash
+      pytest --cov=pycellga
+      ```
+    - Ensure that your changes do not significantly reduce the code coverage. A minimum of 90% coverage is recommended.
+
+4. **Add new tests (if applicable)**:
+    - If your changes introduce new features or modify existing functionality, write additional test cases to cover these changes.
+    - Place your tests in the appropriate subdirectory within the `tests` folder, following the naming convention `test_<feature_name>.py`.
+
+5. **Review testing guidelines**:
+    - Ensure your tests follow the existing style and structure used in the project. Use descriptive function names and provide comments where necessary to clarify the test's purpose.
 
 ### Documentation
 

README.md

@@ -110,6 +110,54 @@ We have provided a basic example above. If you're interested in exploring more e
 
 Contributions are welcome! Please read the contributing guidelines first.
 
+## Testing
+
+To ensure that `pycellga` works as expected, we have provided a comprehensive suite of tests. Follow these steps to run the tests locally:
+
+1. **Install dependencies**: Make sure you have installed all the necessary dependencies from `requirements.txt`. You can install them using the following command:
+
+    ```bash
+    pip install -r requirements.txt
+    ```
+
+2. **Run tests**: Navigate to the root directory of the project and run the test suite using `pytest`. 
+
+    ```bash
+    pytest
+    ```
+
+    This will automatically discover and execute all the test cases.
+
+3. **Check code coverage** (Optional): You can check the test coverage of the package using `pytest-cov`. First, ensure you have installed `pytest-cov`:
+
+    ```bash
+    pip install pytest-cov
+    ```
+
+    Then, run the tests with coverage reporting:
+
+    ```bash
+    pytest --cov=pycellga
+    ```
+
+    A summary of code coverage will be displayed in the terminal.
+
+4. **Generate coverage reports**: If you want a detailed HTML report of the code coverage, run:
+
+    ```bash
+    pytest --cov=pycellga --cov-report=html
+    ```
+
+    Open the `htmlcov/index.html` file in a web browser to view the detailed coverage report.
+
+5. **Add new tests (if applicable)**:
+    - If your changes introduce new features or modify existing functionality, write additional test cases to cover these changes.
+    - Place your tests in the appropriate subdirectory within the `tests` folder, following the naming convention `test_<feature_name>.py`.
+
+6. **Review testing guidelines**:
+    - Ensure your tests follow the existing style and structure used in the project. Use descriptive function names and provide comments where necessary to clarify the test's purpose.
+
+
 ## License
 
 This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

docs/contributing.rst

@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ Contributing
 
 We’re thrilled that you’re considering contributing to `pycellga`! Community contributions drive innovation and help us improve the software. Whether it’s reporting bugs, suggesting enhancements, or submitting pull requests, your support is invaluable.
 
-
 Ways to Contribute
 ------------------
 
@@ -64,19 +63,19 @@ When you’re ready to submit your changes, follow these guidelines to ensure a
 1. **Write Clear Commit Messages**: Each commit message should be clear and descriptive.
 2. **Run Tests**: Verify that all tests pass. Tests can be run from the `tests` folder or main directory:
 
-   - From the `tests` folder:
+- From the `tests` folder:
 
-     .. code-block:: bash
+.. code-block:: bash
 
-         cd tests
-         pytest *         # or
-         pytest -v
+    cd tests
+    pytest *         # or
+    pytest -v
 
-   - From the main project directory:
+- From the main project directory:
 
-     .. code-block:: bash
+.. code-block:: bash
 
-         pytest -v
+    pytest -v
 
 3. **Submit a Pull Request**: Push your branch to GitHub, navigate to the main repository, and open a pull request.
 
@@ -98,19 +97,55 @@ Before submitting a pull request, ensure that all tests pass. Tests can be run i
 
 1. **From the `tests` folder**:
 
-   .. code-block:: bash
+.. code-block:: bash
 
-       cd tests
-       pytest *         # or
-       pytest -v
+    cd tests
+    pytest *         # or
+    pytest -v
 
 2. **From the main project directory**:
 
-   .. code-block:: bash
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+    pytest -v
+
+Testing Guidelines
+------------------
+
+Here are additional details for testing your contributions:
+
+1. **Set up your environment**:
+
+- Install the dependencies listed in `requirements.txt`:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+    pip install -r requirements.txt
+
+- Install testing dependencies like `pytest`:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+    pip install pytest pytest-cov
+
+2. **Run coverage checks**:
+
+- To ensure your changes are covered by tests, run:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+    pytest --cov=pycellga
+
+3. **Write new tests**:
+
+- If your contribution involves new functionality, write test cases to validate its behavior.
+- Place test files in the `tests` folder, following the naming convention `test_<feature_name>.py`.
 
-       pytest -v
+4. **Review existing tests**:
 
-If you add new functionality, consider adding tests to cover your changes.
+- Familiarize yourself with the project's test structure by reviewing existing tests in the `tests` folder.
+- Ensure your tests align with the same style and structure.
 
+By following these testing guidelines, you help maintain the quality and reliability of `pycellga`.
 
 Thank you for considering a contribution to `pycellga`. We’re excited to see what you’ll bring to the project!