summer of code

The 2010 Google Summer Of Code program for WordPress is just about ready for prime time. The Google Summer of Code is a global program that offers student developers stipends to write code for various open source software projects. It was created in 2005 and continues to this day. Thanks to some willing students in 2009, we saw the creation of a new search API, and a theme framework in Elastic. When comparing the projects list from 2010 to 2009, they haven’t changed much although bbPress has been added to the list this year.

One of the project ideas that caught my eye was Template Versioning.

WordPress saves post revisions, but changes to theme files are not recorded, though the presentation layer is sometimes just as important. Build a versioning system for template files within the theme editor.

I wonder if any willing student will snatch up this project. This project idea also confirms that the built in theme editor isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

For any students who want to participate in the WordPress GSoC project, you’re encouraged to review the application template from 2008 as well as the ideas from last year. However, the best way to increase your chances of being selected is to start learning the WordPress code base right now and submit a few patches so the mentors can get a basic idea of your abilities.

Good luck to any student who pursues one of the listed project ideas.

If you’re involved with the WordPress project, chances are you already know that at about this time every year, the WordPress guys announce a series of projects for the Google Summer Of Code which is an annual event aimed at providing accepted students the chance to work with Mentors for their favorite participating open source project where they gain exposure to real-world software development scenarios and the opportunity for employment in areas related to their academic pursuits.

This years round of projects that students can place applications for are as follows:

BuddyPress
Media
Blog Import/Export
User Roles
Template Versioning
MPTT
Search
Video
Theme Frameworks
Community/Event Organizing Framework
WordPress MU
Other

Those who are interested in more information regarding the projects and who is mentoring them can find all of the information on the official Codex articled dedicated to Google Summer Of Code 2009.

Overall, I’m hoping that at least a few of these projects are accomplished over the course of the project as many of them would benefit the software greatly such as search, media, and blog import/exporting. While I don’t have any code fu to participate in the event, the projects themselves I believe can be used as a way to figure out what is in the core developers heads in terms of where the project is heading.

Out of the project listed, the ones that I’m most interested in is the theme versioning system. Like post revisions, theme revisions would work in much the same way, saving a revision of the template with each save. A system like this would probably make people a little less afraid to venture into the theme editor to make changes to their css file or core theme files since you would be able to revert a change.

Community/Event Orginizing Frameworks would be pretty cool. For example, the official WordCamp site could use a framework such as this where WordCamp orginizers can have a subdomain similar to how WordPress.com works but they have all the tools they need built into the site to handle registration, planning, sponsorships, event location, etc.

What about you? Anything in the list of projects that screams out at you?

WordPress GSoC 2010 Program Under Way

It’s That Time Of Year Again