Google SoC Project Ideas

Google SoC Project Ideas

This pages lists some suggested projects that could be proposed and implemented by participants of the Google Summer of Code program. Don't take this as restriction however, we will gladly accept work in any of these areas by others not participating in the Summer of Code too!

wxPython

• Switch the build system to be based on bakefile instead of distutils. (Bakefile is a makefile and project file generator.)
• Develop a basic unit test framework able to deal with the GUI nature of wxPython, and an initial set of unit tests for doing some automated testing of wxPython.

• Develop a mechanism for allowing Python exceptions to pass through the C++ layers and be caught in python layers higher up the call stack. Implement and test. Check with RobinDunn about this first, I have some ideas and notes about how to do this already, it just needs feasibility testing and then actual implementation.

• Create a wxPython GUI tool that unifies and simplifies various standalone executable builders for Python, such as py2exe, py2app, cx_Freeze, etc.
• Determine feasibility of distributing wxPython as a Python egg.
• Create an extension module that provides an efficient conversion (at the C level) between wxBitmap and PIL images.

• wxPython Runtime Environment (Check with RobinDunn for what this means.)

XRCed

• Refactor to make it easy to extend the tool to support new widgets, or new attributes for existing widgets. In other words, instead of needing to edit several modules to add or change support for one widget, convert to a plug-in or drop-in architecture where all of the meta-data needed for fully supporting a single widget is located in a single module that XRCed dynamically loads at start up.
• Refactor to make it easy to embed XRCed functionality into other applications, such as full fledged IDEs.
• See also ["XRCed Wish List"]

Proposal Guidelines

The application could have similar chapters as the following:

Name:
E-mail Address:
Project Title:
Project Goals:
Project Benefits:  How does your project benefit wxWidgets and its community?
Project Tasks and Deliverables: Break your project into tasks or pieces.
     Describe in detail what you plan to accomplish and what the results will be.

Project Schedule:  Estimate how long your project will take and how much time you
     have to dedicate on it. Try to establish a timed roadmap of the tasks to do.

Personal Statement:  Tell us about yourself.  Describe why you are better than any
     other applicant for this project.

Tips for prospective students

Please try to not underestimate the scope of a project, but also not to overestimate it. Make working on your wxPython project your main activity for the entire summer, as to not go over deadlines. When writing your proposal, keep in mind that you aren't the only one writing one. We will have to accept a certain number of applications, so you have to make your application stand out to be selected.

• Sell your idea - Describe your idea in detail. What is the ultimate goal? What components will it have? What are the benefits for the user? How do you plan to ensure that the project gets completed on time? If a more detailed explanation of the idea already exists, what will you do that will go above and beyond all expectations?

• Sell yourself - Make sure you get across how enthusiastic you are about the project. The more enthusiastic you are, the more assured we will be that you will finish your project. It also indicates that there is a good chance you will stick around even after the Summer of Code has finished. Why are you interested in Open Source and wxPython in particular? What interests do you have, and how do these relate to the project for which you are applying?

• Be enthusiastic - Summer of Code is a very exciting opportunity, and wxPython is a very exciting project, with a long and proven history, to work on. We aren't just looking for someone who wants a summer job to pass their time and earn some money. We want people who have a passion towards open source and are likely to become constant contributors to wxPython and open source also once the summer has passed. The goal of the whole initiative is to have students find their way to open source together with mentoring and a good motivation.

• Don't be afraid - Do you have a brilliant idea not covered on the list of project ideas above? Excellent! We'd love to hear it.