Asking for Help
So you're working on a mod and running into some trouble that you can't figure out how to fix. If you've consulted the wikis (this one as well as the main wiki) but can't find a solution, you can of course ask for help! Some places to do that are the the main Stardew Valley Discord server (often referred to within the community as Maincord) and the Stardew Modmaker Community server (aka SMC). That said, when you're frustrated with your mod not working, it can be easy to fall into the trap of asking for help in, well, a completely unhelpful way!
Therefore, here are some best practices when asking for help, adapted and expanded upon from some of the suggestions in the SMC server:
1. Communities vary, so adjust accordingly, but there is generally no need to ask for permission to ask for help in the main Stardew server or SMC. You can just jump right in and ask your question. Be polite of course, but skip the unnecessary filler!
2. Be specific! You've likely been poking at this for a while and are intimately familiar with what you're trying to do, but the rest of the community is not! Don't forget to tell people what you're trying to do and ask specific questions. If you're vague or just seem like you're venting, people won't know that you're asking for help, and you're more likely to be ignored or receive little more than sympathy pats.
3. Let people know what you've already tried to do! This one can be vary quite a bit, but at the very least you should be able to state what isn't working currently.
4. Keeping the above in mind, it's also important not to accidentally bypass #2 and rush right into #3, skipping right to your attempted solution and failing to describe what you were trying to do in the first place. By only mentioning the solution that isn't working, you may accidentally lead people astray, causing them to try and provide a solution that makes no sense for the real problem you are actually trying to solve. This is also known as the XY problem.
5. Share your code with the group! You can do that here for ease of viewing.
6. If there are any errors, and you don't understand what they mean, you'll also want share your SMAPI log so that people can see the error in full. (See also: How to Read Your SMAPI log for a breakdown of how to read your log if you're new to this!)
7. People are more willing to help if it looks like you've put effort into your work. This is another good reason to let people know what you've tried first. It may also help to let people know if you already have a lot of experience coding or modding or if you're new to all of this.
8. Don't be discouraged if you don't receive help immediately! Discord moves quickly, and the people around at the time you first ask your question may not know how to help. Also keep in mind that the community is made up of volunteers--not paid customer service reps--so temper your expectations. Do feel free to ask your question again later though (just don't spam the chat every few minutes).
9. It is generally not necessary to single out an individual for help (unless of course you already know them or were told to do so). Similarly, you probably should avoid the "Any experts in [specific mod-making task] around?" question. You're more likely to get help if you just ask your question in the appropriate channel. Someone who is hanging around might know the answer and can help or can point you in the right direction! If you try to single out random people or general experts, you limit your options as people will generally assume you have a rapport with them already or that they can't answer your question even if it is in fact something they are at least a little familiar with.
10. Need additional testers for your mod? For the most part, you should only ask for testers once you've already thoroughly tested it yourself and know it works (i.e. you're just looking for additional testers to catch any bugs you may not be able to catch yourself with a different mod list) and if you are an active part of that community. No one likes it when a completely new person shows up and asks people to test their mod because they don't want to do it themselves. This is a community and you should treat it as such :)