MY EXPERIENCE AS AN ECLIPSE CONTRIBUTOR

How I started networking and contributing code

Patrik Suzzi, 4th Nov. 2015

About.me/psuzzi

• R&D Engineer• Eclipse4 RCP, CBI, …

• Privately contributing• Scout, E4, Platform

• MSc Eng• Eclipse RCP, GEF

My bits here:https://twitter.com/psuzzihttps://www.asegno.com

1. HOW I STARTED

• Reasons to contribute

• “it-is-not-a-job”, but is the top!

Playing with Eclipse

• EclipseCon Slides

• Attach Java Source

• Online tutorials

I built vLab, for learning by doing

• MEng, UniBo• vLabs

• V1 Java2D

• V2 Eclipse

• Achievements• E-learning application

• Publication “Learning by doing”..

Examining success factors

• Reusable, High quality, Component Based

• Open Source, Business friendly

I discovered the ecosystem

• Good documentation

• Vibrant community

• Widely supported

I wanted to join to:

• Advance my experience

• Learn from the best

• Improve my business

• Be part of a community

But, I started working!

If you want to work in an open source project,

you have to like it and you have to expect nothing

2. NET-WORKING

• How I started contributing

• What was important to learn

I started networking

• Eclipse Days are free:

• Banking Day, Copenhagen

• SOA Day, Rome

• MDD Day, Zurich

• Eclipse Day Florence

This lead me to my first contribution

• Eclipse Day > Meet a Project Lead• Common interests > communicate > contribute

Then, an Eclipse Job found me

• Eclipse E4 RCP

• R&D Engineer

• Relocated abroad

Later, I wanted to contribute code

• work + colleague’s experience + wiki + forums> skills to contribute code

I started learning git (to contribute)

• Version control evolved• basics

• Eclipse Git Workflow• CLA, Push to Gerrit

I wanted to get to the next level

• Eclipse Conference Europe• Three days, European top event

So I made my first code contribution

• Eclipse Con Hackaton > Meet an Evangelist > Interactive session on Git workflow > Solve bug > push to Gerrit

3. CONTRIBUTING CODE

Code > sacrifice > repeat

I started contributing

How To Contribute

Help Wanted Bugs Forums

I like working on Platform UI

That makes me feel good!

• List of my contributions

It requires constant commitment

• C/c Bugzilla

• Read Wiki

• Ask Forums

I am a contributor

• I signed the CLA

• I send my contributions for a Committer to review and commit

Review System

I follow the Gerrit workflow

I (contributor) ? (the committer)

Git Master (world)

Demo: fix < 10 min

• Given • IDE setup ok

• In <10 min• Get source

• Fix the bug

• Push Gerrit

Some work

Automagic

TAKEAWAYS

• How to join the community?• Passion > Networking

• How to contribute ?• Learn > improve > share (*)

• How to get new contributors?• Opennes > learning by doing

Questions?

Be Courageous

Ask!

References

Web references:• Platform UI Wiki > How to Contribute : https://wiki.eclipse.org/Platform_UI/How_to_Contribute

• Platform UI > Developer resources : https://projects.eclipse.org/projects/eclipse.platform.ui

Presentations, Publications and Books:• A gentle introduction to GEF (K. Aers)• “Learning by doing: vLab, a virtual laboratory for Computer Engineering education” (R.Laschi, A.Riccioni, P.Suzzi)• Contributing to Eclipse Principles, Patterns and Plug-ins (E.Gamma, K.Beck)• Eclipse plug-ins (E.Clayberg, D.Rubel)

Photo Credits• Solstice Eclipse Starscape, Luis Argerich [link]

• Lake Erie Sunrise, Jen Goellnitz [link]• DSC01134 , Media Mike Hazard [link]• Network, Ivan Emelianov [link]• Eclipse logo [link]• The Eclipse IP process in cartoons [link]• Cat, K-neko TR [link]• The House of the Eclipse, György Soponyai [link]

Contributing to the Eclipse IDE, Second Edition

http://www.vogella.com/books/eclipsecontribution.html

As of today, available as free

download and paper book