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CONTRIBUTING.md

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+# Contributing Guide
+
+This document is for **students** making their first contribution and for **reviewers** (teachers/TAs) merging Pull Requests.
+
+---
+
+## For Students
+
+### What to do
+
+1. Fork this repository
+2. Find or create `students/your-github-username/`
+3. Add a `profile.json` file with your details
+4. Optionally add a `photo.jpg` in the same folder
+5. Commit and open a Pull Request
+
+### profile.json format
+
+```json
+{
+  "name": "Your Name",
+  "github": "your-github-username",
+  "about": "A short bio about yourself.",
+  "favoriteTech": "JavaScript",
+  "image": ""
+}
+```
+
+| Field | Required | Notes |
+|-------|----------|-------|
+| `name` | Yes | Your full name |
+| `github` | Yes | Your GitHub username (must match your folder name) |
+| `about` | Yes | One sentence about yourself |
+| `favoriteTech` | No | Something you're learning or know |
+| `image` | No | Path to photo, e.g. `"./photo.jpg"`. Leave empty for initials. |
+
+### Common mistakes
+
+- **Wrong folder name:** Your folder must match your GitHub username exactly
+- **Invalid JSON:** Missing commas, trailing commas, or unmatched quotes
+- **Missing fields:** At minimum, include `name`, `github`, and `about`
+- **Photo too large:** Keep images under 500KB
+
+---
+
+## For Reviewers
+
+### Before merging a PR, check:
+
+#### 1. File structure
+
+The student's folder should be at:
+```
+students/<github-username>/profile.json
+```
+
+Optional:
+```
+students/<github-username>/photo.jpg
+```
+
+#### 2. profile.json validity
+
+- [ ] File is valid JSON (no trailing commas, proper quoting)
+- [ ] `name` field exists and is a non-empty string
+- [ ] `github` field matches the folder name
+- [ ] `about` field exists and is a non-empty string
+- [ ] `image` field is either empty string or `"./photo.jpg"`
+- [ ] No additional fields that could break the site
+
+#### 3. Content checks
+
+- [ ] Name looks real (not "test", "asdf", or placeholder)
+- [ ] About is a real sentence (not lorem ipsum)
+- [ ] No offensive or inappropriate content
+- [ ] No malicious links or scripts
+
+#### 4. Photo (if included)
+
+- [ ] File is actually an image (JPEG, PNG, or WebP)
+- [ ] File size is reasonable (under 500KB)
+- [ ] Image is appropriate for a class project
+
+### Valid profile.json example
+
+```json
+{
+  "name": "Rahul Kumar",
+  "github": "rahul_dev",
+  "about": "Trying web development for the first time.",
+  "favoriteTech": "JavaScript",
+  "image": "./photo.jpg"
+}
+```
+
+### Minimal valid example
+
+```json
+{
+  "name": "Jane Doe",
+  "github": "janedoe",
+  "about": "Here to learn and build things."
+}
+```
+
+### Invalid examples
+
+**Trailing comma (will break JSON):**
+```json
+{
+  "name": "Jane",
+  "github": "jane",
+}
+```
+
+**Missing required field:**
+```json
+{
+  "name": "Jane"
+}
+```
+
+**GitHub username mismatch:**
+- Folder: `students/janedoe/`
+- JSON: `"github": "jane_doe"` (underscore vs no underscore)
+
+### Quick JSON validation
+
+You can validate JSON online at [jsonlint.com](https://jsonlint.com) or ask the student to check in their editor.
+
+### Merge checklist
+
+1. Approve the PR if all checks pass
+2. Merge using "Squash and merge" (keeps main history clean)
+3. The GitHub Pages deployment will auto-update the site
+4. Tell the student to check the live site
+
+### If a PR has issues
+
+Leave a comment explaining what needs to be fixed. Common fixes:
+
+- "Your JSON has a trailing comma after the last field. Remove it."
+- "Your `github` field doesn't match your folder name. Please fix."
+- "Your file is missing the `about` field. Please add it."
+
+Be encouraging. This is their first PR.