I'm getting tired of building isolated computer science projects and would like to start contributing to open-source software. I initially looked at GoogleTest because it is a well-known C++ project and wondered whether contributing to a large company-backed project could help with internship applications. However, I'm struggling to understand where beginners should start. I don't know how to find suitable issues, connect an issue to the relevant files, make changes safely, write unit tests, or choose the correct branch for my work. Could someone explain the typical contribution workflow and suggest what I should learn first?
1 Answer
Start with a smaller project that you already use or genuinely care about. GoogleTest is mature and fairly complex, so it can be a tough first project. A contribution to a project you understand and can explain well is usually more valuable for internship applications than a tiny change made only because the project has a famous name.
The usual workflow is to read the project’s CONTRIBUTING.md file, find an issue that is not already assigned, fork the repository, create a separate branch based on the main branch, make and test your changes, push that branch to your fork, and open a pull request. You generally should not push directly to the project’s main branch. Project instructions may use different branch names or require additional steps, so always follow that repository’s documentation.
Issues are not necessarily linked directly to individual files. They describe bugs or desired improvements, and part of the task is tracing the relevant behavior through the code. That can be difficult at first, so look for smaller projects and issues marked with labels such as “good first issue” or “help wanted.” Also learn basic Git, GitHub workflows, and unit testing. A unit test is a small automated check that verifies whether a particular function or component behaves as expected. You only need enough knowledge to make a tested, focused change; you do not need to master the entire development process first.
That clears up the workflow a lot. I’d still appreciate suggestions for beginner-friendly projects.