# Work on your issue
The work you do for your issue depends on the specific issue you picked.
This section gives you a step-by-step workflow. Where appropriate, it provides
command examples.
However, this is a generalized workflow, depending on your issue you may repeat
steps or even skip some. How much time the work takes depends on you --- you
could spend days or 30 minutes of your time.
## How to work on your local branch
Follow this workflow as you work:
1. Review the appropriate style guide.
If you are changing code, review the coding style guide. Changing documentation? Review the
documentation style guide.
2. Make changes in your feature branch.
Your feature branch you created in the last section. Here you use the
development container. If you are making a code change, you can mount your
source into a development container and iterate that way. For documentation
alone, you can work on your local host.
Make sure you don't change files in the `vendor` directory and its
subdirectories; they contain third-party dependency code. Review if you forgot the details of
working with a container.
3. Test your changes as you work.
If you have followed along with the guide, you know the `make test` target
runs the entire test suite and `make docs` builds the documentation. If you
forgot the other test targets, see the documentation for testing both code and
documentation.
4. For code changes, add unit tests if appropriate.
If you add new functionality or change existing functionality, you should
add a unit test also. Use the existing test files for inspiration. Aren't
sure if you need tests? Skip this step; you can add them later in the
process if necessary.
5. Format your source files correctly.
File type
How to format
.go
Format .go files using the gofmt command.
For example, if you edited the `docker.go` file you would format the file
like this:
$ gofmt -s -w docker.go
Most file editors have a plugin to format for you. Check your editor's
documentation.
.md and non-.go files
Wrap lines to 80 characters.
6. List your changes.
$ git status
On branch 11038-fix-rhel-link
Changes not staged for commit:
(use "git add ..." to update what will be committed)
(use "git checkout -- ..." to discard changes in working directory)
modified: docs/installation/mac.md
modified: docs/installation/rhel.md
The `status` command lists what changed in the repository. Make sure you see
the changes you expect.
7. Add your change to Git.
$ git add docs/installation/mac.md
$ git add docs/installation/rhel.md
8. Commit your changes making sure you use the `-s` flag to sign your work.
$ git commit -s -m "Fixing RHEL link"
9. Push your change to your repository.
$ git push origin 11038-fix-rhel-link
Username for 'https://github.com': moxiegirl
Password for 'https://moxiegirl@github.com':
Counting objects: 60, done.
Compressing objects: 100% (7/7), done.
Writing objects: 100% (7/7), 582 bytes | 0 bytes/s, done.
Total 7 (delta 6), reused 0 (delta 0)
To https://github.com/moxiegirl/docker.git
* [new branch] 11038-fix-rhel-link -> 11038-fix-rhel-link
Branch 11038-fix-rhel-link set up to track remote branch 11038-fix-rhel-link from origin.
## Review your branch on GitHub
After you push a new branch, you should verify it on GitHub:
1. Open your browser to GitHub.
2. Go to your Docker fork.
3. Select your branch from the dropdown.
4. Use the "Compare" button to compare the differences between your branch and master.
Depending how long you've been working on your branch, your branch maybe
behind Docker's upstream repository.
5. Review the commits.
Make sure your branch only shows the work you've done.
## Pull and rebase frequently
You should pull and rebase frequently as you work.
1. Return to the terminal on your local machine and checkout your
feature branch in your local `docker-fork` repository.
2. Fetch any last minute changes from `docker/docker`.
$ git fetch upstream master
From github.com:docker/docker
* branch master -> FETCH_HEAD
3. Start an interactive rebase.
$ git rebase -i upstream/master
4. Rebase opens an editor with a list of commits.
pick 1a79f55 Tweak some of the other text for grammar
pick 53e4983 Fix a link
pick 3ce07bb Add a new line about RHEL
5. Replace the `pick` keyword with `squash` on all but the first commit.
pick 1a79f55 Tweak some of the other text for grammar
squash 53e4983 Fix a link
squash 3ce07bb Add a new line about RHEL
After you save the changes and quit from the editor, git starts
the rebase, reporting the progress along the way. Sometimes
your changes can conflict with the work of others. If git
encounters a conflict, it stops the rebase, and prints guidance
for how to correct the conflict.
6. Edit and save your commit message.
$ git commit -s
Make sure your message includes your signature.
7. Force push any changes to your fork on GitHub.
$ git push -f origin 11038-fix-rhel-link
## Where to go next
At this point, you should understand how to work on an issue. In the next
section, you [learn how to make a pull request](/project/create-pr/).