Introduction to Open Source

What is Open Source

Open source is like sharing a fun toy with instructions. It allows anyone to see how it works, change it, and make it even better with their ideas. Everyone gets to play together. In the software world, it refers to software with source code that anyone can look at, modify, and improve.

Why open source is important?

• Transparency: Open-source software is developed transparently, which means that anyone can see the source code. This can help to build trust between users and developers.

• Security: Open source software is often more secure than proprietary software because it is more widely reviewed by a larger number of people.

• Flexibility: Open-source software can be customized to meet the specific needs of users.

• Cost-effectiveness: Open source software is often free or low-cost, which can save businesses and individuals money.

• Collaboration and Community: Open source brings collaboration and community, where developers worldwide contribute, expanding their knowledge and skills. It accelerates development, enhances features, and offers ongoing support. Additionally, developers earn recognition through contributions, accumulating "green squares" that showcase their expertise, acting as medals on their resumes.

Benefits of contributing to open source projects

As you may know, having an impressive resume is typically crucial for job applications. However, with open-source contributions, your GitHub profile becomes your new, captivating resume.

Here are some Benefits Regarding Contributing to open-source projects or making your own open-source project :)

1. Increase experience: Contributing to open-source projects can help you gain valuable experience that can be used to land a job or advance your career.

2. Learn new skills: Contributing to open-source projects is a great way to learn new skills and technologies. You will be exposed to a wide range of code and learn from other experienced developers like they are mentoring.

3. Have fun: Contributing to open-source projects can be a lot of fun. You will be working on projects that you are passionate about and you will be able to see the impact of your work.

4. Making a Difference: Open source projects are created and maintained by volunteers. By contributing to an open-source project, you can help to make software that is available to everyone.

5. Recognition and Reputation: Earn recognition, enhance reputation, and open doors to future opportunities.

To Start contributing to Open Source Projects you need to learn Version Control like git so let's deep dive into it:-

Getting Started With Git

Let's learn Git with a wedding example

Imagine being a wedding photographer, entrusted with capturing the most precious moments. Git, with its version control magic, can be likened to your trusty camera, while the wedding album becomes your code repository. Let's embark on a journey to learn Git through the lens of a wedding example, filled with love, collaboration, and memorable snapshots.

Snapshots of Code: In Git, every change made to your codebase is captured as a snapshot. Just like capturing a moment with your camera, Git freezes the code at that specific point, preserving its state in the repository. Each snapshot represents a milestone in the development process.

Branches for Multiple Perspectives: Imagine the couple wants different versions of their wedding album. Git solves this by creating branches, similar to making copies of the album. Each branch allows different perspectives and modifications without altering the original version. Couples, families, and friends can have their own branches, making independent changes.

Merge: Combining the Best Moments: Once everyone has made their desired changes, Git helps merge the branches back together, just as you would combine the selected photos into the final wedding album. Git seamlessly combines the best moments and desired order from different branches, ensuring everyone's contributions are included.

Going Back in Time: Undoing Mistakes: Remember when you had a backup copy of the photos? Git provides that safety net. If you accidentally delete a photo or mess up the album, Git's version control allows you to revert back to a previous snapshot. It preserves the history of your code, offering the ability to undo mistakes and restore previous versions.

Real-Life Example: Designing a Wedding Invitation Website Let's apply Git to a real-life example of creating a wedding invitation website. Imagine a couple, Virat and Anushka, collaborating on the project.

1. Initialize the Repository: Like setting up the wedding album, run git init to initialize the Git repository.

    git init
   

2. Create Branches:

• Anushka creates a branch named "Anuskha-Features" to work on adding RSVP functionality:

• Virat creates a branch called "Virat-Design" to focus on website styling

    git checkout -b Anuskha-Features
    git checkout -b Virat-Design
  

  1. Snapshot and Commit:

• Anushka modifies the code for RSVP functionality and takes a snapshot with git add . and git commit -m "Added RSVP feature".

  Here git add . added all files to the staging area but if you want only one file to the staging area you should do git add "file-name"

Similarly, Virat makes design changes and commits them: git add . and git commit -m "Updated website styling".

git add . 
git commit -m "Added RSVP feature"

git add .
git commit -m "git commit -m "Updated website syling"

1. Merge the Branches:

• After completing their changes, Anushka and Virat merge their branches back into the main branch:

  Switch to the main branch:

  git checkout main

  Merge Anushka's changes:

  git merge Anuskha-Features

  Merge Virat's changes:

  git merge Virat-Design

1. Enjoy the Perfect Wedding Invitation Website:

The final website incorporates both RSVP functionality and stunning design elements, making Anushka and Virat's wedding invitation a digital masterpiece.

Congratulations! You've experienced the beauty of Git's version control using the wedding photography analogy. Git empowers collaboration, preserves project history, and enables the seamless merging of changes. Just like curating a wedding album, Git ensures that your code journey captures the essence of development, collaboration, and cherished memories. Happy coding, and may your Git repositories be filled with unforgettable snapshots of code!

Now you have much knowledge of Git to collaborate with Other Projects so now let's deep dive into it

Collaborating on Open Source Projects with Git

Open-source projects provide a fantastic opportunity to collaborate and contribute to the broader software development community. In this, we'll explore the essential steps for collaborating on open-source projects using Git. From finding projects to submitting pull requests.

1. Finding Open Source Projects to Contribute to:

   • Explore platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket to discover projects that align with your interests.

Look for projects labeled as "good first issue" to start your journey.

This is my open-source project BloodDonation which you contribute so first check out the "good first issue" for familiarizing with Tech-Stack

2. Forking a Repository:

• On the project's repository page, click the "Fork" button to create a personal copy of the project.

This forked repository becomes your playground for making changes and contributions.

1. Cloning a Repository:

On your forked repository page, click the "Clone" button to copy the repository's URL.

• 

  In your terminal, use the command git clone "which you copy(https stuff)" to create a local copy on your machine.

1. Branching and Merging Changes:

Create a new branch to work on specific changes:

git branch [branch_name]

Switch to the newly created branch:

git checkout [branch_name].

Make desired changes to the codebase.

Add and commit your changes:

git add .

git commit -m "Descriptive commit message".

To merge changes from the main branch into your branch:

git merge main

1. Making and Submitting Pull Requests:

   • On your forked repository page, click the "New Pull Request" button.

   • Compare the changes between your branch and the original project's branch.

   • Provide a clear and concise description of your changes.

   • Submit the pull request for review and collaboration with the project maintainers.

     

Congratulations! You've unlocked the world of open-source collaboration using Git. By finding projects, forking repositories, cloning, branching, merging, and submitting pull requests, you can actively contribute to open-source projects and make a positive impact on the software development community.

Here are some web development projects that are open for contributions and provide an excellent opportunity for you to start your journey as a contributor:

ProjectHut: Link

BloodDonation: Link

If you're looking for more projects to contribute to, check out this curated list: More

These projects offer a chance to enhance your web development skills and make a positive impact on real-world applications. Explore the repositories, find issues or features that interest you, and start contributing to these exciting web development projects. Happy coding and happy contributing!

Congratulations, Remember the excitement you felt when capturing precious moments as a photographer? Git enables you to capture and preserve your code's progress, ensuring reliability and organization. By exploring Git's commands, forking repositories, and submitting pull requests, you've acquired the skills to contribute to open-source projects. Embrace the joy of collaboration, connect with project maintainers, and immerse yourself in the open-source community. Your contributions matter, shaping the future of software development. Now, go forth and let your code leave a lasting impact. Happy coding!