Update/expand Contributing.rst regarding pull requests

docs/Contributing.rst

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ Contributing Code
 =================
 Several things should be kept in mind when contributing code to DFHack.
 
-Code Format
+Code format
 -----------
 * Four space indents for C++. Never use tabs for indentation in any language.
 * LF (Unix style) line terminators
@@ -26,18 +26,45 @@ Code Format
   * #includes should be sorted. C++ libraries first, then dfhack modules, then df structures,
     then local includes. Within each category they should be sorted alphabetically.
 
-How to get new code into DFHack
+Pull request guidelines
+-----------------------
+* Pull requests should be based on (and submitted to) the default branch of the
+  relevant repo, which is the branch you see when you access the repo on GitHub
+  or clone the repo without specifying a branch. As of 0.47.04-r1, this is
+  ``develop`` for the main DFHack repo and ``master`` for other repos.
+* Use a new branch for each feature or bugfix so that your changes can be merged
+  independently (i.e. not the ``master`` or ``develop`` branch of your fork).
+
+  * An exception: for a collection of small miscellaneous changes (e.g.
+    structures research), one branch instead of many small branches is fine. It
+    is still preferred that this branch be dedicated to this purpose, i.e. not
+    ``master`` or ``develop``. Your pull request may be merged at any point
+    unless you indicate that it isn't ready (see below), but you can continue to
+    push to the same branch and open new pull requests as needed.
+
+* Try to keep pull requests relatively small so that they are easier to review
+  and merge.
+
+  * If you expect to make a large number of related additions or changes (e.g.
+    adding a large new plugin), multiple PRs are preferred, as they allow more
+    frequent (and easier) feedback. If development of this feature is expected
+    to take a while, we may create a dedicated branch to merge your pull
+    requests into instead of the repo's default branch.
+
+* If you plan to make additional changes to your pull request in the near
+  future, or if it isn't quite ready to be merged, mark it as a
+  `draft pull request <https://docs.github.com/en/github/collaborating-with-issues-and-pull-requests/about-pull-requests#draft-pull-requests>`_
+  or add "WIP" to the title. Otherwise, your pull request may be reviewed and/or
+  merged prematurely.
+
+General contribution guidelines
 -------------------------------
-* Submit pull requests to the ``develop`` branch, not the ``master`` branch.
+* If convenient, compile on multiple platforms when changing anything that
-  (The ``master`` branch always points at the most recent release)
+  compiles. Our CI should catch anything that fails to build, but checking in
-* Use a new branch for each feature or bugfix so that your changes can be merged independently
+  advance can be faster.
-  (i.e. not the master or develop branch of your fork).
-* If possible, compile on multiple platforms when changing anything that compiles
-* It must pass CI - run ``python travis/all.py`` to check this.
 * Update documentation when applicable - see `docs-standards` for details.
 * Update ``changelog.txt`` and ``docs/Authors.rst`` when applicable. See
   `build-changelog` for more information on the changelog format.
-* Create a GitHub pull request once finished
 * Submit ideas and bug reports as :issue:`issues on GitHub <>`.
   Posts in the forum thread can easily get missed or forgotten.
 * Work on :issue:`reported problems <?q=is:open+-label:idea>`