Set Up a Development Environment

Setting up a local development environment for Faker allows you to contribute effectively to the project. Whether you prefer working directly on your machine or using a containerized setup, the following steps will guide you through the process.

Step 1: Fork and Clone the Repository

Before you begin, you need to fork the Faker repository and clone it to your local machine.

::: tip Note If you are unfamiliar with Forks, check out GitHub Forking Guide. :::

1. Go to the Faker GitHub repository and click the Fork button.
2. Open a terminal and clone your fork:
   shCopy

   git clone https://github.com/<Your_GitHub_Username>/faker
   

3. Navigate into the cloned directory:
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   cd faker
   

4. Add the upstream source to keep your fork updated:
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   git remote add upstream https://github.com/faker-js/faker.git
   

Step 2: Choose Your Development Setup

Faker can be developed using two different methods:

• On your machine
• In a development container

Option 1: Native Node.js Environment

If you prefer working directly on your machine, follow these steps:

1. Ensure you have the current LTS version of Node.js installed.
2. Ensure you have the package manager pnpm installed.
3. Run the preflight command to verify your setup:
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   pnpm run preflight
   

Option 2: VSCode Devcontainer Integration

For a streamlined development experience, Faker supports VSCode Devcontainers.

1. Open the Faker repository in VSCode.
2. Install the Dev Containers extension if you haven't already.
3. Open the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS) and select "Dev Containers: Reopen in Container".
4. Wait for the container to build and start.

Step 3: Submit a Pull Request

Your development environment has successfully been set up. You are now ready to Submit a Pull Request.