OpenSource Dev World - What should I consider?

seishinryohosha · 2013-06-25 23:00:04

I'm planning to make an very simple Pacman Update Indicator for KDE.

So spoken a KDE Widget written in QML and the DataEngine in C++

So searching for a lib, I found the ALPM and the pacman tarball as a great
resource of information.

I read the `LICENSE' and `HACKING' file in there, so I know how to style the
code and how to quote and comment my code.

Is there anything I should consider about?

This is my first "self-project".
I already did small school projects written in Java and Python, which I ported to C++ and I got involed in versioning with git and tried to follow the Java/Python/C++ `Styleguides'.

So, as I'm completely new to this, is there anything I'm missing?

Thank you

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seishinryohosha · 2013-07-06 18:28:27

Nothing to say, or is my question to unspecific?

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cmtptr · 2013-07-07 01:54:52

Honestly, there is no substitute for experience. I tend to find myself getting too caught up on trying to make my first step into something new be a perfect one. As an exercise to avoid getting into a rut, I often force myself to objectively reevaluate design patterns or coding styles I've adopted, and try new ones. You have to just accept that you're not going to do everything right the first time, but that's okay because you'll learn from it and your next one will be better.

So that's my advice. Just do it and see what happens.

Last edited by cmtptr (2013-07-07 01:57:44)

drcouzelis · 2013-07-07 02:44:29

seishinryohosha wrote:

So, as I'm completely new to this, is there anything I'm missing?

Start writing the software. If you have a specific question or problem then you can ask it here.

I can't think of anything else to say.

Last edited by drcouzelis (2013-07-07 02:45:27)

seishinryohosha · 2013-07-08 13:14:27

Well, thank you for your answers!
Okay, as I have vacation now I can start coding

I leave the topic open, if somebody has something to say.

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Trilby · 2013-07-08 13:46:55

I second/third the advice above: just do it. Version 1 of any of my tools always tends to be a hideous mess. It gets worse and worse as I have to add things on and make minor changes. But by the time it's functional I can see how all the parts *should* interact. Then in a major rewrite I can do it right from the start.

A case could be made for spending more time in the design and planning stages to avoid this ugly-version plus rewrite. But I for one just don't work that way. I don't know what it is that needs to be planned until I actually write the code.

jakobcreutzfeldt · 2013-07-08 15:24:14

Trilby wrote:

I second/third the advice above: just do it. Version 1 of any of my tools always tends to be a hideous mess. It gets worse and worse as I have to add things on and make minor changes. But by the time it's functional I can see how all the parts *should* interact. Then in a major rewrite I can do it right from the start.
A case could be made for spending more time in the design and planning stages to avoid this ugly-version plus rewrite. But I for one just don't work that way. I don't know what it is that needs to be planned until I actually write the code.

I agree, on the condition that the code base be small (as I know your programs tend to be). For larger codebases, however, the decision to do a complete rewrite by the same author is almost a sure-fire way to grind all development to a halt.

Anyway, "release early and release often", and such.

Trilby · 2013-07-08 15:46:44

Indeed, larger projects, particularly with mutliple authors/contributors would require more planning and coordination.

The OPs project sounds like a nice small one-man job though.

seishinryohosha · 2013-07-08 22:54:49

Yep, it's a one-man job

I handle it that way:

Structure it basically.
If I don't know exactly how to make it, I start to think how the
programm would work and make one step after another.
After the core works, I recap it and make a real structure

Or if I exactly know what it should be, I make basic headerfiles or skeletons in other languages and implement it step by step.

As I tend to write a lot of comments - in my computer science class everybody says either "You are crazy to make so much comments!" or "I love to read your code" and as one said to my python code:"Wow, your code nice and clean" -
I surely don't lose the logic afterwards.

And I heard that bigger projects tend to have an `architect'?

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Last edited by seishinryohosha (2013-07-08 22:56:52)

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#1 2013-06-25 23:00:04

OpenSource Dev World - What should I consider?

#2 2013-07-06 18:28:27

Re: OpenSource Dev World - What should I consider?

#3 2013-07-07 01:54:52

Re: OpenSource Dev World - What should I consider?

#4 2013-07-07 02:44:29

Re: OpenSource Dev World - What should I consider?

#5 2013-07-08 13:14:27

Re: OpenSource Dev World - What should I consider?

#6 2013-07-08 13:46:55

Re: OpenSource Dev World - What should I consider?

#7 2013-07-08 15:24:14

Re: OpenSource Dev World - What should I consider?

#8 2013-07-08 15:46:44

Re: OpenSource Dev World - What should I consider?

#9 2013-07-08 22:54:49

Re: OpenSource Dev World - What should I consider?

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