11 methods help you become an open source programming expert

Nowadays, many people want to get involved in open-source projects, but they don't know where to start. There are several ways to help you, even if you lack confidence, you can still let you pick up the technology.

Open-source software has changed computing and the whole world, and you may want to contribute to such a thing. However, unfortunately, many people think that participation in such a project has a high threshold. I often hear people say they are happy to contribute, but there are three reasons why they cannot:

• "I am not a very good programmer ."
• "I don't have much time to invest ."
• "I don't know what projects are worth working on ."

The most harmful idea I have observed from a beginner in open-source code is that it is incorrect to be an excellent and contributing open-source programmer who must have a high level of talent. Of course, there are also those who are considered rock stars in the open-source world who may indeed be talented programmers. However, the vast majority of us are not, but we are still making our own contribution to changing the world.

Start listening

Everything involved in open-source code involves other people. If you want to join a team, it means to understand society and how it works. Enter a project and say, "This is what I think this project should do." This is generally not regarded as a good thing. Some projects may like this idea, but if the project has been running for a while, it is very unlikely that this attitude will be accepted. You need to know the best way to join this project.

1. Add to the email list

For many projects, the email list is the main channel for project development communication. There are many email lists available for large projects. For example, PostgreSQL projects have at least 12 user-oriented lists and 6 developer email lists. I suggest that you listen to the user-oriented list and the email list of core developers.

2. Follow the blog

Blogs maintained by core developers often provide information about future versions and when to obtain such information.

3. Add an IRC channel

Many open-source projects have dedicated Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels, where developers and users report problems and discuss project progress.

Getting started

Code is the core of any open-source project, but writing code is not the only way to help you get started. Code and maintenance of the surrounding code systems are often overlooked. These areas can not only correct errors, but also provide innovative functions. You can start from these areas to participate in a project.

4. error diagnosis

Diagnosing and filtering an error can help developers save more time to identify the details of the problem. If the user reports that "the software does not work when I work on X", you should check the details of this problem. Whether the problem is repeated. If so, can you create a group of steps to solve the problem and narrow down the problem. Even if you do not know the cause of the problem, you can narrow down the scope of the problem to reduce the time for other people to solve the problem.

5. Disable fixed errors.

Errors are often fixed in the code library. It may take a lot of time to clean up these items, but they are very valuable to the entire project. Check the project release change log to see if the error is fixed. If it is fixed, pay attention to the version number and disable it.

Process Code

All experienced programmers can play a major role in the code of the entire project. You don't have to think that only talented programmers can play a role in the project. Each project has its own workflow, so you need to know how to do it before submitting the code. When you modify the code, make sure that you are a member of the project and maintain that your code style matches other code in the code library.

6. Test or release a candidate version.

Any project running on multiple platforms may encounter various compatibility issues. After the Beta or candidate version is released, the project owner hopes that it will be tested by many different people on different platforms. You can take charge of this work to help the project be completed smoothly.

7. Fixed bugs

This is usually what code workers are trying to do at the beginning. This is simple: Find an error in the interesting-sounding system, try to fix the code, and check whether the code is properly placed. Add a test suite to test the fixed code. Some projects require bug fixes and tests.

8. Compile a test

Most projects have a test suite of test code, but it is hard to imagine that a test suite cannot be attached to it for more tests. Use a test tool similar to gcov or C to detect the source code field that fails the test suite, and then add a test suite to mask it.

9. Silent compiler warning

Building many c-based projects often present strange compiler warning signs on the screen. These warnings are usually pointed to with no problem. In this case, you should check whether the Code actually contains hidden errors.

10. Add comments

When you are confused about the code you have developed, others may be confused in the same place. In this case, you should record the code and submit a patch at the same time.

User Manual

Documents are often a cold part of a project. The document may be written from the perspective of familiarity with the project, rather than from the perspective of a new project. Therefore, the trial documents of many projects are not paid much attention.

11. Create an example

No project has many examples. No web API or GUI application is used, there are no examples of programs that can be used more clearly and quickly. Create a sample program for an API or library, which can even be extracted from the code you write. Therefore, it is necessary to create an example.

11 methods help you become an open source programming expert