docs: Created CONTRIBUTING.md

[askmanu]

New Documentation

Creates a new documentation file: CONTRIBUTING.md

Description:

Document Plan for CONTRIBUTING.md

1. Introduction: Brief welcome message explaining this is the API server component of the peermetrics WebRTC monitoring service

2. Prerequisites: Required software and tools (Python 3.8, PostgreSQL, Docker if applicable, pip, virtualenv)

3. Local Development Setup:

   • Cloning the repository
   • Setting up Python virtual environment
   • Installing dependencies from requirements.txt
   • Configuring environment variables (.env file)
   • Database setup and migrations
   • Using populate_db.py for test data
   • Running the development server

4. Project Structure Overview:

   • Explanation of main folders (api/, app/, static/)
   • Purpose of key files (manage.py, populate_db.py, config_populate_db)
   • Models organization (app/models/)
   • Views organization (app/views/)
   • Middleware and decorators

5. Development Workflow:

   • Creating a new branch
   • Making changes
   • Running tests (if test framework exists)
   • Code formatting and linting standards
   • Committing changes with meaningful messages

6. Django Admin Interface: How to access and use the admin interface for checking raw data

7. Testing:

   • How to run tests
   • Writing new tests
   • Test coverage expectations

8. API Development Guidelines:

   • Adding new endpoints
   • Model changes and migrations
   • Authentication and authorization patterns
   • Error handling conventions

9. Submitting Changes:

   • Creating pull requests
   • PR description requirements
   • Code review process
   • CI/CD checks (referencing .github/workflows)

10. Getting Help: Where to ask questions, report issues, or discuss features