GSoC_2010_Student_Guide

What to do if you have been accepted as a student for Google Summer of Code 2010?

Communicate

Write a blog

• Set up a blog where you will communicate your results. It is okay to use an existing one.
• Start posting immediately, begin with a description of your project.
• You should write a status report there every week. Suggested sections for the status report are:
  • Key accomplishments last week
  • Key tasks that stalled
  • Tasks in the upcoming week
• This blog will be aggregated on https://planet.phpmyadmin.net/
• Weekly status reports are obligatory, if you fail to provide them, it can be reason for not passing evaluation for Google.

Use the mailing list

• Subscribe to phpmyadmin-devel mailing list if you have not already done so.
• Introduce yourself.
• Include the link to your blog and Git repository there.
• Describe your project in short.
• All your technical questions should go through this mailing list.

Ask questions in public

• We're an open community so unless you have a good reason, all communication should be public.
• Ask on the mailing list unless you have a good reason to ask directly your mentor.
• You can also use irc to ask questions (#phpmyadmin on freenode).

Optionally use Twitter

• You can tweet about your daily progress; please use #pma-gsoc hash tag.

Publish a Git repository

• Publish your changes immediately in your Git repository.
• We recommend to use repo.or.cz for sharing code, see Git#Publishing_changes_for_merge.
• Write about location of your Git repository to phpmyadmin-devel mailing list.
• Push every change you've done so that we can track your progress. GSoC has few deadlines, but we want to see your code continuously!

Benefit from the Community Bonding Period

• Familiarize yourself with phpMyAdmin's code base
• Contact your mentor and establish a plan for the upcoming weeks

Be active

• Be active, don't expect to be kicked and taken by the hand on every step.
• Write weekly reports on time.
• Submit your code early.
• If you fail to communicate, it can lead your project being marked as failed and you won't receive any money from Google.

Don't forget documentation

• All new functionality you create should be documented.
  • New configuration options.
  • New features which require some additional configuration.
  • New features which are not obvious to use.
• Having documentation for end users is a must, you need to include it in our existing documentation (do not add separate documents).
• The documentation should be done as you code, do not keep it on last moment.

Category:Google Summer of Code 2010