From 6de5894418107d3e1fa9a041c5a60697977323ea Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "C.-W. HSU" <11950284+chiaweh2@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2024 13:28:00 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] change the dev instruction

---
 README.md | 78 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--------------
 1 file changed, 59 insertions(+), 19 deletions(-)

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b4cdb17..0460369 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -12,23 +12,30 @@ Future availability of a more sophisticated python pakcage for various end-user
   
 We welcome external contribution to the package. Please feel free to submit issue for any inputs and joining the development core team. Thank you! 
 
-## Active developement
-To use the module in the package at this stage
-1. Create a conda/mamba env based on the region_mom.yml
+## Setting up the developement environment
+
+1. Fork this repository using the button in the upper right of the GitHub page. This will create a copy of the repository in your own GitHub profile, giving you full control over it.
+
+2. Clone the repository to your local machine from your forked version.
 
    ```
-   conda env create -f regional_mom6.yml
+   git clone <fork-repo-url-under-your-github-account>
    ```
-3. Activate the conda env `regional_mom6`
+   This create a remote `origin` to your forked version (not the NOAA-CEFI-Portal version)
+
+
+1. Create a conda/mamba env based on the environment.yml
 
    ```
-   conda activate regional_mom6
+   cd regional_mom6/
+   conda env create -f environment.yml
    ```
-4. change your location to the top level of cloned repo
+3. Activate the conda env `regional-mom6`
 
    ```
-   cd <dir_path_to_regional_mom6>/regional_mom6/
+   conda activate regional-mom6
    ```
+
 5. pip install the package in develop mode
 
    ```
@@ -36,17 +43,50 @@ To use the module in the package at this stage
    ```
 6. setup config file (data path for local data directory)
 
-    ```
-    cp config.json.template config.json
-    ```
-   
-    open the `config.json` and input the absolute path to the top level of the regional mom6 data
+   ```
+   cp config.json.template config.json
+   ```
+
+   open the `config.json` and input the absolute path to the top level of the regional mom6 data
+
+   ```
+   {
+   "data_path": "<your-mom6data-path-here>"
+   }
+   ```
+
+   current setup assuming the data directory structure is fixed (i.e. the historical run or forecast data subdirectory (ex: hist_run and forecast) need to be under this data_path )
+
+## Syncing with the NOAA-CEFI-Portal version
+3. Create a remote `upstream` to track the changes that is on NOAA-CEFI-Portal
+
+   ```
+   git remote add upstream git@github.com:NOAA-CEFI-Portal/regional_mom6.git   
+   ```
+4. Create a feature branch to make code changes
+
+   ```
+   git branch <feature-branch-name>
+   git checkout <feature-branch-name>
+   ```
+   This prevents making direct changes to the `main` branch in your local repository.
+
+5. Sync your local repository with the upstream changes regularly
+
+   ```
+   git fetch upstream
+   git checkout main
+   git merge upstream/main
+   ```
+   This updates your local `main` branch with the latest changes from the upstream repository. Remember to merge `main` into your local `<feature-branch-name>` branch to keep it up to date.
+
+5. Push your changes to your forked version on GitHub
+
+   ```
+   git push origin <feature-branch-name>
+   ```
+   Make sure you have included the `upstream/main` changes before creating a pull request on NOAA-CEFI-Portal/regional_mom6
+
 
-    ```
-    {
-    "data_path": "<your-mom6data-path-here>"
-    }
-    ```
 
-    current setup assuming the data directory structure is fixed (i.e. the historical run or forecast data subdirectory (ex: hist_run and forecast) need to be under this data_path )