Merge branch 'main' into johnc/validate-retention-period

.github/pull_request_template.md

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<!-- markdownlint-disable MD041 -->
+## Description
+
+Please provide a brief summary of the changes made in this pull request.
+
+## Type of change
+
+Please check the relevant options:
+
+- [ ] New feature (a change which adds functionality)
+- [ ] Bug fix (a change which fixes an issue)
+- [ ] Refactoring (code cleanup or optimization)
+- [ ] Testing (enhanced test coverage, or test improvement)
+- [ ] Documentation (changes to documentation)
+- [ ] Other (something that's not listed here - please explain in the description or additional information)
+
+## Checklist
+
+Please check or cross through each option:
+
+- [ ] My code aligns with the style of this project
+- [ ] I have added comments in hard to understand areas
+- [ ] I have added tests that prove my change works
+- [ ] I have updated the documentation
+- [ ] The CI build is passing for my PR
+
+## Additional Information
+
+Please provide any additional information or context related to this pull request.

.github/workflows/docs-pipeline.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+name: Deploy Documentation
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+
+jobs:
+  deploy:
+    name: Deploy Documentation
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Configure Git Credentials
+        run: |
+          git config user.name github-actions[bot]
+          git config user.email 41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: 3.x
+
+      - run: echo "cache_id=$(date --utc '+%V')" >> $GITHUB_ENV 
+
+      - uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          key: mkdocs-material-${{ env.cache_id }}
+          path: .cache
+          restore-keys: |
+            mkdocs-material-
+
+      - run: pip install mkdocs-material 
+
+      - run: mkdocs gh-deploy --force

.markdownlint.json

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "default": true,
+  "MD007": { "indent": 4 },
+  "MD013": false
+}

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -1,37 +1,19 @@
-# Contribution Guidelines
+# Contributing
 
-Before you start contributing to the project, please read the following guidelines. We follow the below guidelines to contribute to this repository.
+If you want to contribute to the project, raise a PR on GitHub.
 
-## How To Contribute
+We use pre-commit to run analysis and checks on the changes being committed. Take the following steps to ensure the pre-commit hook is installed and working:
 
-* **DO** submit all changes via pull requests (PRs). They will be reviewed and potentially merged after a peer review from at least one maintainer.
-* **DO** give PRs short but descriptive names.
-* **DO** write a useful but brief description of what the PR is for.
-* **DO** ensure each commit successfully builds. The entire PR must pass all checks before it will be merged.
-* **DO** address PR feedback in additional commits instead of amending.
-* **DO NOT** submit "work in progress" PRs. Please mark them as *Draft*. A PR should only be submitted when it is considered ready for review.
-* **DO NOT** mix independent and unrelated changes in one PR.
-* If there is a major upgrade or a feature addition to the project, it might be a good idea to get started with a Github issue or a Github discussion to discuss the feature or the upgrade before starting a PR on the upgrade.
+1. Install git
+    * Ensure the git `bin` directory has been added to %PATH%: `C:\Program Files\Git\bin`
 
-## Pull Requests
+1. Install Python
+    * Ensure the python `bin` directory has been added to %PATH%
 
-We use pull requests to review and merge code into the `main` branch.
+1. Install pre-commit
+    * Open a terminal and navigate to the repository root directory
+    * Install pre-commit with the following command: `pip install pre-commit`
+    * Install pre-commit within the repository with the following command: `pre-commit install`
+    * Run `pre-commit run --all-files` to check pre-commit is working
 
-Please follow the steps below to create a pull request:
-
-1. Fork the repository from the `main` branch ( Refer steps to [create a fork](https://docs.github.com/en/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/working-with-forks/fork-a-repo)). We use `main` branch only for sync'ing forks. All development contributions should be made to the `development` branch.
-
-1. Create a new branch (example `development`) in your forked repository for your feature or bug fix. Detailed branching and development strategy is outline in [this guide](docs/setup-guide.md#diagram-for-forking-and-syncing).
-
-1. Make sure the pre-commit hook is installed and working:
-   1. Install pre-commit using this [link](https://pre-commit.com/#installation)
-   1. Run `pre-commit run --all-files` from the root of the repository.
-   1. Follow [these](https://github.com/pocc/pre-commit-hooks?tab=readme-ov-file#information-about-the-commands) instructions to install the commands
-
-1. Run tests, linters and checks locally and make sure the pipeline is passing
-
-1. Make sure the pipeline is passing
-
-1. Make sure you have each PR reviewed
-
-1. Once the PR is approved, merge it to the `main` branch, preferably using `Squash and Merge`
+> For full details [see this link](https://pre-commit.com/#installation)