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CONTRIBUTING.md

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+# Contributing to Spring REST Docs
+
+Spring REST docs is released under the Apache 2.0 license. If you would like to
+contribute something, or simply want to work with the code, this document should help you
+to get started.
+
+## Sign the contributor license agreement
+
+Before we accept a non-trivial patch or pull request we will need you to sign the
+[contributor's license agreement (CLA)][1]. Signing the contributor's agreement does not
+grant anyone commit rights to the main repository, but it does mean that we can accept
+your contributions, and you will get an author credit if we do. Please use "Andy
+Wilkinson" in the project lead field when you complete the form.
+
+
+## Code conventions and housekeeping
+
+None of these is essential for a pull request, but they will all help
+
+- Make sure all new `.java` files to have a simple Javadoc class comment with at least an
+  `@author` tag identifying you, and preferably at least a paragraph on what the class is
+  for.
+- Add the ASF license header comment to all new `.java` files (copy from existing files
+  in the project)
+- Add yourself as an `@author` to the .java files that you modify substantially (more
+  than cosmetic changes).
+- Add some Javadocs
+- Add unit tests that covers and new or modified functionality
+- Whenever possible, please rebase your branch against the current master (or other
+  target branch in the main project).
+* When writing a commit message please follow [these conventions][2]. Also, if you are
+  fixing an existing issue please add `Fixes gh-nnn` at the end of the commit message
+  (where nnn is the issue number).
+
+## Working with the code
+
+### Building from source
+
+To build the source you will need to use Java 8 – the main project only requires Java 7
+but the sample projects use Java 8.
+
+The code can be built with Gradle:
+
+```
+$ ./gradlew build
+```
+
+### Importing into Eclipse
+
+The project has Gradle's Eclipse plugin applied. Eclipse project and classpath metadata
+can be generated by running the `eclipse` task:
+
+```
+$ ./gradlew eclipse
+```
+
+The project can then be imported into Eclipse using `File -> Import…` and then selecting
+`General -> Existing Projects into Workspace`.
+
+[1]: https://support.springsource.com/spring_committer_signup
+[2]: http://tbaggery.com/2008/04/19/a-note-about-git-commit-messages.html