GSoC 2018! Let's Go!
The results are out and I have been selected for GSoC 2018! I couldn't be more thrilled as I take my first step into the Open Source World.
The Journey so far...
I have been able to learn a lot of new things during the GSoC application period, from the initial confusion of choosing the right project and organisation to submitting a proposal. After going through a lot of different projects of various organisations, I decided that the Page Forms project by Wikimedia Foundation was the right project for me. Then, I started contributing to it and understanding the various features to be implemented as part of the project.
Although the journey was a bit overwhelming and difficult at first, I received a lot of guidance from Yaron (opens in a new tab) along the way as I tried my hand at couple of microtasks and fixing a few bugs. Bala (opens in a new tab) and Nischay (opens in a new tab) encouraged me and helped me refine my proposal and bring it to completion. The couple of weeks before the application deadline were a bit stressful with the pressure to write a good proposal and make more contributions, along with balancing my academic requirements. I also received help from my batchmates (particularly, Rohitt (opens in a new tab) and Arnav (opens in a new tab)), who encouraged me throughout the process. Finally, I submitted my proposal and the wait for the results began. I was anxious about the results, but when they came out, I was feeling on top of the world!
The entire journey has instilled a lot of confidence in me and has given me a sense of achievement. :)
My project: Add a Spreadsheet Interface to the Page Forms Extension
The different tools used to edit and create new pages with MediaWiki fascinated me and the Page Forms extension provides a novel method to do the same. Using the Page Forms extension, one can create forms made up of multiple templates. These forms can then be filled to create pages. The pages can also be edited using the same forms.
My project over this summer will aim to add a spreadsheet like interface to edit multiple pages at once. Similar to the forms, the spreadsheet will contain calls from various pages to the same template which the administrator can edit. New pages with the same template can also be added using the same interface.
Other features planned are: renaming pages, support for combo-box and token fields with autocompletion.
I made some mockups for the same:
I believe contributing to this project would be a great opportunity for me to be a part of this amazing community and write code that will possibly be used by millions of people.
Stay tuned for updates on my project!
Related links: