Update contributing guidelines (#927)

.github/pull_request_template.md

@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
+- [ ] I have read and agree to the contributing guidelines for [submitting new pull requests](https://github.com/griptape-ai/griptape?tab=readme-ov-file#submitting-pull-requests).
+
 ## Describe your changes
 
 ## Issue ticket number and link
-
-## Checklist before requesting a review
-- [ ] I have performed a self-review of my code.
-- [ ] I have added thorough tests.
-- [ ] Is this a notable change? If so, please update the [changelog](https://github.com/griptape-ai/griptape/blob/dev/CHANGELOG.md).

Makefile

@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ publish: ## Push git tag and publish version to PyPI.
 install: ## Install all dependencies.
 	@poetry install --with dev --with test --with docs --all-extras
 
-.PHONY: test
-test: test/unit test/integration ## Run all tests.
+.PHONY: test  ## Run all tests.
+test: test/unit test/integration
 
 .PHONY: test/unit
 test/unit: ## Run unit tests.
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ check/types:
 .PHONY: check/spell
 check/spell:
 	@poetry run typos 
+
+.PHONY: docs
+docs: ## Build documentation.
+	@poetry run mkdocs build
 
 .DEFAULT_GOAL := help
 .PHONY: help

README.md

@@ -162,12 +162,6 @@ Thank you for considering contributing to Griptape! Before you start, please rea
 
 If you have identified a bug, want to propose a new feature, or have a question, please submit an issue through our public [issue tracker](https://github.com/griptape-ai/griptape/issues). Before submitting a new issue, please check the existing issues to ensure it hasn't been reported or discussed before.
 
-### New Griptape Tools
-
-Griptape's extensibility allows anyone to develop and distribute tools independently. With rare exceptions for Tools providing broadly applicable functionality, new Griptape Tools should be managed as their own projects and not submitted to the core framework. Pull requests for new tools (unless addressing an [existing issue](https://github.com/griptape-ai/griptape/issues)) will be closed.
-
-The [Griptape Tool Template](https://github.com/griptape-ai/tool-template) provides the recommended structure, step-by-step instructions, basic automation, and usage examples for new Tools. In the Template, select **Use this template** then **Create a new repository** to begin a new Tool project.
-
 ### Submitting Pull Requests
 
 We welcome and encourage pull requests. To streamline the process, please follow these guidelines:
@@ -178,13 +172,27 @@ We welcome and encourage pull requests. To streamline the process, please follow
 
 3. **Unit Tests:** Ensure that your pull request passes all existing unit tests. Additionally, if you are introducing new code, please include new unit tests to validate its functionality.
 
+Run `make test/unit` to execute the test suite locally.
+
 4. **Documentation:** Every pull request must include updates to documentation or explicitly explain why a documentation update is not required. Documentation is crucial for maintaining a comprehensive and user-friendly project.
 
-5. **Code Style:** Griptape uses [Ruff](https://github.com/astral-sh/ruff) to enforce style guidelines. You can ensure that your code is formatted accordingly and will pass formatting checks using `pre-commit`. See [Tools](#tools) for information on how to configure this and other dev tools.
+Run `make docs` to build the documentation locally.
+
+5. **Code Checks:** Griptape a variety of tools to enforce code quality and style. Your code must pass all checks before it can be merged.
+
+Run `make check` to run all code checks locally.
+
+6. **Changelog:** If your pull request introduces a notable change, please update the [changelog](https://github.com/griptape-ai/griptape/blob/dev/CHANGELOG.md).
+
+### New Griptape Tools
+
+Griptape's extensibility allows anyone to develop and distribute tools independently. With rare exceptions for Tools providing broadly applicable functionality, new Griptape Tools should be managed as their own projects and not submitted to the core framework. Pull requests for new tools (unless addressing an [existing issue](https://github.com/griptape-ai/griptape/issues)) will be closed.
+
+The [Griptape Tool Template](https://github.com/griptape-ai/tool-template) provides the recommended structure, step-by-step instructions, basic automation, and usage examples for new Tools. In the Template, select **Use this template** then **Create a new repository** to begin a new Tool project.
 
-### Tools
+### Dev and Test Dependencies
 
-Install dev dependencies via Make:
+Install all dependencies via Make:
 
 ```shell
 make install