If you are not currently working with GitHub and git, follow these set up steps first. GitHub provides excellent help at https://help.github.com/articles/set-up-git
If you do not already have a GitHub account, sign up.
Go to the Experience API repository. Fork the repository to your own account using the "Fork" button on the top right of Experience API repository page. This makes a copy of the Experience API repository. This fork gives you the ability to edit your version of the document without impacting the master copy.
You need to install Git to work with a GitHub repository. If you are on a Windows machine, you can download the GitHub client app. If you use a Mac you can download the GitHub client app but will also have to download git to add a remote to the master repository. Otherwise install git from the git site.
Git
This provides a command line client app for working with a git repository (like
GitHub)
Download and run git install
GitHub Client
GitHub Client provides a GUI interface to simplify working with a repository on
GitHub. This does not currently support synchronizing with a master repository so
some commands will still need to be completed using the command line.
Mac: http://mac.github.com/
Windows: http://windows.github.com/
To make edits and work on the files in the repository, clone your repository to
your local machine using Git. The url is provided on the home page of your
repository (ex. https://github.com/<your username>/xAPI-Spec/)
Git
git clone https://github.com/<your username>/xAPI-Spec/>
GitHub Client
On the home screen of the client app, select your account under 'github' and
choose the repository you want to clone. Selecting the repository from the list
gives you an option to clone it.
Add a remote repository to git to reference the master repository. This will make synchronizing with the master respository a bit easier.
Git
git remote add upstream https://github.com/adlnet/xAPI-Spec
GitHub Client
Currently the GitHub clients don't have a way to synchronize with the master
repository. In order to do this, open your repository on the GitHub client
app home screen. On the repository screen select 'tools' and 'open a shell
here'. Alternatively use the 'Git Shell' shortcut if it was created during
installation. NOTE: If you're using a Mac there is no shell shortcut so navigate to /your/repo/path/xAPI-Spec then follow the shell instructions.
In the shell, enter..
git remote add upstream https://github.com/adlnet/xAPI-Spec
Pull down changes from the master repository. This automatically does a fetch of the master repository and a merge into your local repository.
Git and GitHub Client
git pull upstream master
Edit the local copy of the file, save and commit. Rule of thumb: Use commits like save points. Commit to indicate logical groups of edits, and places where the edits could be safely rolled back.
Git
git commit -a -m "<commit message>"
GitHub Client
The GitHub client will detect saved changes to the documents in your
local repository and present a button to commit your edits at the top
right of the repository screen.
Pushing your changes to your remote GitHub repository stages the files so that you can then make requests to the master repository to merge in your changes.
Git
git push origin
GitHub Client
The GitHub client has a 'sync' button at the top of the repository screen.
This will synchronize your local and remote (origin) repository.
When you forked from the Experience API repository, a link back to the master repository is remembered. To send your changes back the the master repository, click the "Pull Request" button at the top of your repository page. This will direct you to a page that gives you the ability to submit a request to the master repository to merge in the changes you committed.
##Style Guide
If a specific data format and value are to be used, the code style should be used to denote this.
For example:
A list of item ids is delimited by ```[,]```
And
The value returned must be ```false```.
When refering to a property, parameter or object, but not specifically calling it out as property, parameter, or object the name should be capitalized. No formatting or quotes should be used.
For example:
Context Activities within the Context of the Statement are awesome.
When a specific type is called out, Double quotes should be used (e.g. properties, parameters, and objects). When used within quotes, the capitalization should match that actually used in the object being described.
For example:
You can use "category" Context Activities to denote the recipe being followed in crafting the statement.
And
The "member" property is an un-ordered list!
When a value is expected or described within plain text, but isn't specifically code, single quotes should be used. In situations where it is important to group text to be specific to the concept, single quotes should also be used. Single quotes are also allowable if the text would be unclear due to certain property names. Basically, single quotes are the catch-all for any case where not having any clarifying punctuation or style would cause confusion.
For example:
The reserved Verb 'http://adlnet.gov/expapi/verbs/voided' is an exception.
And
These additional properties are called ‘interaction component lists’
And
The Score Object SHOULD include 'scaled'
And
The 'binary' value should be used.
Hashes (#) should be used for all headings following the following format: