Open Source Contributions in Github

🌟 GitHub: Your Path to Open Source Contribution 🌟

GitHub, one of the most crucial platforms for us programmers, plays a vital role in today’s tech landscape. It’s increasingly important to familiarize ourselves with it, as contributing to online projects not only enriches your portfolio but also sharpens your programming prowess. In fact, companies often inquire about your contribution experience, making your GitHub profile a potential window to opportunities. 🚀

🤝 How to Contribute?

Fear not, you don’t need to be a programming wizard to contribute to open-source projects. Many people unnecessarily fret about this and miss out on the chance to contribute. You can start by writing documentation for the codebase. Here are some prerequisites:

• Basic computer skills.
• A grasp of Git.
• A GitHub account.

🛠️ Steps for Open Source Contributions

1. Select a Project: Choose a project you’re passionate about—be it a daily tool, a colleague’s project, or something you want to enhance. Your contribution can breathe life into a project, making this step vital.

2. Familiarize Yourself: Dive into the project’s codebase. Understand its structure, files, and functions. Create a mental map.

3. Choose Your Contribution Area: Assess your skills and decide how you can best contribute. Whether it’s enhancing documentation or adding features, weigh your options and make a choice.

4. Fork the Repository: It’s action time! Fork the repository to your account using the “fork” button at the top. This creates your independent copy for improvements.

5. Clone Your Fork: Clone your forked repo to your local machine with this command:

   1	git clone <repo>

6. Create a New Branch: Before making changes to the codebase, it is a good idea to make a new branch. Branch names should be descriptive should give info about the issue you are solving. Use the command below to create a new branch:

   1	git checkout -b <branch-name>

7. Make changes: Implement the changes needed to address the issue or feature you’ve chosen. Follow the project’s coding style, guidelines, and best practices.

8. Test Your Changes: Ensure that your code changes work as intended and do not introduce new issues. If the project has automated tests, run them to verify your changes.

9. Commit and Push: Commit your changes locally and push them to your forked repository on the remote server. Use the following commands:

   1 2 3

   git add . git commit -m "Brief description of your changes" git push origin branch-name

10. Submit a Pull Request: On the projec’s repository, navigate to the “Pull Requests” section and click “New Pull Request”. Select the base branch of the project and the branch where you have made the changes in your fork. Write a detailed description of your changes, reference the related issue, and explain why your contribution is valuable.

🌐 What to do now?

• You’ve completed the contribution steps. Now, stay active in the community. Respond to comments and feedback on your PR. Engage in constructive discussions with maintainers and fellow contributors. Be open to making revisions based on feedback. Keep maintainers informed and seek clarification when needed. Communication is key.

• When your PR is accepted and merged, celebrate your contribution with the open source community. You’re now an open source contributor! Consider further contributions to the same project or explore other interests. The more you give, the more you’ll grow as a developer.

• Remember, open source communities cherish contributions of all sizes. Over time, you might even become a project maintainer or contributor as trust builds within the community. 🌐🚀🤖