Contributing to Apache Axis2/C

We welcome contributions to Apache Axis2/C! This guide explains how to get involved.

The Apache Way

“The Apache Way is primarily about Community, Merit, and Openness, backed up by Pragmatism and Charity.”

Apache projects operate through community consensus and meritocracy. Contributions are valued, and consistent contributors earn recognition and responsibility within the project.

Becoming a Committer

If you have a significant stake in Apache Axis2/C—whether your organization depends on it for production systems, or you're actively contributing improvements—consider the path to becoming a committer. All Apache releases require a minimum of 3 binding votes from Project Management Committee (PMC) members, so having committed contributors ensures the project can continue to release updates.

For more information, see: Becoming a Committer

Ways to Contribute

  • Bug Reports - Report issues you encounter
  • Bug Fixes - Submit patches for known issues
  • Documentation - Improve guides and API docs
  • Features - Implement new functionality
  • Code Review - Review pull requests from others

Getting Started

1. Fork the Repository

# Fork on GitHub, then clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/axis-axis2-c-core.git
cd axis-axis2-c-core
git remote add upstream https://github.com/apache/axis-axis2-c-core.git

2. Create a Branch

git checkout -b feature/my-feature
# or
git checkout -b fix/issue-123

3. Make Changes

  • Follow the Coding Conventions
  • Write tests for new functionality
  • Update documentation as needed

4. Test Your Changes

Build and test following the instructions in the INSTALL file:

./configure [options]
make
make check

5. Commit and Push

git add .
git commit -m "Brief description of changes"
git push origin feature/my-feature

6. Submit a Pull Request

  1. Go to your fork on GitHub
  2. Click “New Pull Request”
  3. Select your branch
  4. Fill out the PR template
  5. Submit for review

Pull Request Guidelines

Checklist

  • [ ] Code follows coding conventions
  • [ ] Tests added/updated for new functionality
  • [ ] Documentation updated if needed
  • [ ] Commit messages are clear and descriptive
  • [ ] No unrelated changes included

PR Title Format

[AXIS2C-XXX] Brief description

Or for non-JIRA issues:

fix: Description of bug fix
feat: Description of new feature
docs: Documentation update

Review Process

  1. A maintainer will review your PR
  2. Address any requested changes
  3. Once approved, a maintainer will merge

Code Style

See Coding Conventions for:

  • Naming conventions
  • Code formatting
  • Memory management patterns
  • Error handling

Testing

Running Tests

make check

Writing Tests

  • Place tests in the test/ directory
  • Use the existing test framework
  • Cover both success and failure cases

Building the Documentation Site

The documentation site uses MkDocs with the Material theme.

Setup

# Create a Python virtual environment and install dependencies
python3 -m venv mkdocs-venv
./mkdocs-venv/bin/pip install mkdocs mkdocs-material

Preview Locally

# Start the development server
./mkdocs-venv/bin/mkdocs serve

# Or specify a different port
./mkdocs-venv/bin/mkdocs serve -a localhost:8080

Then open http://localhost:8000 in your browser. The site auto-reloads when you edit Markdown files.

Build Static Site

# Generate static HTML in site/ directory
./mkdocs-venv/bin/mkdocs build

Documentation Structure

docs/
├── index.md                 # Home page
├── getting-started/         # Installation and quick start
├── guide/                   # User and developer guides
├── api/                     # API reference
├── community/               # Contributing, mailing lists
└── *.md                     # HTTP/2, security docs

Communication

License

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the Apache License 2.0.

Code of Conduct

All contributors must follow the Apache Code of Conduct.

Thank you for contributing to Apache Axis2/C!