# Overview

> [!WARNING]
> **As an Argo CD user, you probably don't want to be reading this section of the docs.**
>
> This part of the manual is aimed at helping people contribute to Argo CD, documentation, or to develop third-party applications that interact with Argo CD, e.g.
> 
> * A chat bot
> * A Slack integration

## Preface
#### Understand the [Code Contribution Guide](code-contributions.md)
#### Understand the [Code Contribution Preface](submit-your-pr.md#preface)
    
## Contributing to Argo CD documentation

This guide will help you get started quickly with contributing documentation changes, performing the minimum setup you'll need.   
For backend and frontend contributions, that require a full building-testing-running-locally cycle, please refer to [Contributing to Argo CD backend and frontend ](index.md#contributing-to-argo-cd-backend-and-frontend) 

### Fork and clone Argo CD repository
- [Fork and clone Argo CD repository](development-environment.md#fork-and-clone-the-repository)

### Submit your PR
- [Before submitting a PR](submit-your-pr.md#before-submitting-a-pr)
- [Choose a correct title for your PR](submit-your-pr.md#title-of-the-pr)
- [Perform the PR template checklist](submit-your-pr.md#pr-template-checklist)

## Contributing to Argo CD Notifications documentation

This guide will help you get started quickly with contributing documentation changes, performing the minimum setup you'll need.
The notifications docs are located in [notifications-engine](https://github.com/argoproj/notifications-engine) Git repository and require 2 pull requests: one for the `notifications-engine` repo and one for the `argo-cd` repo.
For backend and frontend contributions, that require a full building-testing-running-locally cycle, please refer to [Contributing to Argo CD backend and frontend ](index.md#contributing-to-argo-cd-backend-and-frontend) 

### Fork and clone Argo CD repository
- [Fork and clone Argo CD repository](development-environment.md#fork-and-clone-the-repository)

### Submit your PR to notifications-engine
- [Before submitting a PR](submit-your-pr.md#before-submitting-a-pr)
- [Choose a correct title for your PR](submit-your-pr.md#title-of-the-pr)
- [Perform the PR template checklist](submit-your-pr.md#pr-template-checklist)

### Install Go on your machine
- [Install Go](development-environment.md#install-go)

### Submit your PR to argo-cd
- [Contributing to notifications-engine](dependencies.md#notifications-engine-githubcomargoprojnotifications-engine)
- [Before submitting a PR](submit-your-pr.md#before-submitting-a-pr)
- [Choose a correct title for your PR](submit-your-pr.md#title-of-the-pr)
- [Perform the PR template checklist](submit-your-pr.md#pr-template-checklist)

## Contributing to Argo CD backend and frontend 

This guide will help you set up your build & test environment, so that you can start developing and testing bug fixes and feature enhancements without having to make too much effort in setting up a local toolchain.

As is the case with the development process, this document is under constant change. If you notice any error, or if you think this document is out-of-date, or if you think it is missing something: Feel free to submit a PR or submit a bug to our GitHub issue tracker.

### Set up your development environment
- [Install required tools (Git, Go, Docker, etc)](development-environment.md#install-required-tools)
- [Install and start a local K8s cluster (Kind, Minikube or K3d)](development-environment.md#install-a-local-k8s-cluster)
- [Fork and clone Argo CD repository](development-environment.md#fork-and-clone-the-repository)
- [Install additional required development tools](development-environment.md#install-additional-required-development-tools)
- [Install latest Argo CD on your local cluster](development-environment.md#install-latest-argo-cd-on-your-local-cluster)

### Set up a development toolchain (local or virtualized)
- [Understand the differences between the toolchains](toolchain-guide.md#local-vs-virtualized-toolchain)
- Choose a development toolchain

    - Either [set up a local toolchain](toolchain-guide.md#setting-up-a-local-toolchain)
    - Or [set up a virtualized toolchain](toolchain-guide.md#setting-up-a-virtualized-toolchain)

### Perform the development cycle 
- [Set kubectl context to argocd namespace](development-cycle.md#set-kubectl-context-to-argocd-namespace)
- [Pull in all build dependencies](development-cycle.md#pull-in-all-build-dependencies)
- [Generate API glue code and other assets](development-cycle.md#generate-api-glue-code-and-other-assets)
- [Build your code and run unit tests](development-cycle.md#build-your-code-and-run-unit-tests)
- [Lint your code base](development-cycle.md#lint-your-code-base)
- [Run e2e tests](development-cycle.md#run-end-to-end-tests)
- How to contribute to documentation: [build and run documentation site](docs-site.md) on your machine for manual testing

### Run and debug Argo CD locally
- [Run Argo CD on your machine for manual testing](running-locally.md)
- [Debug Argo CD in an IDE on your machine](debugging-locally.md)
  
### Submit your PR
- [Before submitting a PR](submit-your-pr.md#before-submitting-a-pr)
- [Understand the Continuous Integration process](submit-your-pr.md#continuous-integration-process)
- [Choose a correct title for your PR](submit-your-pr.md#title-of-the-pr)
- [Perform the PR template checklist](submit-your-pr.md#pr-template-checklist)
- [Understand the CI automated builds & tests](submit-your-pr.md#automated-builds-tests)
- [Understand & make sure your PR meets the CI code test coverage requirements](submit-your-pr.md#code-test-coverage)

Need help? Start with the [Contributors FAQ](faq.md)

## Contributing to Argo CD custom health checks
- [Understanding and writing health checks](../operator-manual/health.md#custom-health-checks)

## Contributing to Argo CD dependencies
- [Contributing to argo-ui](dependencies.md#argo-ui-components-githubcomargoprojargo-ui)
- [Contributing to notifications-engine](dependencies.md#notifications-engine-githubcomargoprojnotifications-engine)

## Extensions and Third-Party Applications
* [UI Extensions](extensions/ui-extensions.md)
* [Proxy Extensions](extensions/proxy-extensions.md)
* [Config Management Plugins](../operator-manual/config-management-plugins.md)

## Generative AI
Contributions using generative AI tools must follow the [Argo project Generative AI policy](https://github.com/argoproj/argoproj/blob/main/community/genai.md).

## Contributing to Argo Website
The Argo website is maintained in the [argo-site](https://github.com/argoproj/argo-site) repository.
