Contribution to open source projects is a highly rewarding activity for any developer. This experience boosts not only your technical skills but also the ability to work with people and become part of a community. My first meaningful open source contribution was to a project called open-sauced/app. I got first-hand experience with learning Tailwind CSS, diving into git cherry-pick, and becoming a better communicator in the field under the direction of very supportive maintainers. This post tells you my story of working as an OpenSauced contributor, what I learned, and gives some advice on how to start.

Getting to Know About OpenSauced

The open-sauced/app repository is an incredible platform that allows developers to track their contributions, discover new projects, and monitor their progress. I stumbled upon OpenSauced while searching for beginner-friendly projects, and I was immediately drawn to its mission of making open source contributions more accessible.

Getting Started

Starting can be the hardest part, but with OpenSauced, it was a breeze. I began by:

1. Exploring the Repository: I familiarized myself with the codebase and set up my development environment.
2. Solving Beginner-Friendly Issues: Tackling good-first-issue tasks with the help of the community and the detailed documentation.

The community's support and detailed documentation made the process smoother.

My Contributions

My initial contributions focused on fixing bugs and enhancing features. One notable experience I had with the app was how they integrated the GitHub API to enhance the user interface. This experience inspired me to rebuild my portfolio using a similar technique.

My Learnings

• Learning Tailwind CSS: In the course of my journey, I developed my skills with Tailwind CSS, which helped improve my ability to create responsive designs.

• Using the GitHub API: Understanding how OpenSauced utilized the GitHub API to display user contributions motivated me to integrate this feature into my portfolio.

• Community Engagement: Collaborating with the community was a valuable experience that built my confidence and inspired me to continue contributing publicly.

• Learning Git Cherry-Pick: An unexpected issue with a pull request led me to learn git cherry-pick, a powerful command to apply specific commits from one branch to another. With guidance from Brian "the Beyoncé of Open Source,” I mastered this tool, which proved invaluable in my contributions.

• Becoming a Better Communicator: One of the most valuable aspects of contributing to OpenSauced was the opportunity to improve my communication skills. The maintainers provided constructive feedback on my pull requests and commit messages. They emphasized:

• Clear and Descriptive Commit Messages: Writing concise and informative commit messages to explain the purpose of changes.

• Detailed Pull Request Descriptions: Including thorough descriptions of changes in pull requests to help reviewers understand the context and impact.

Advice for Aspiring Contributors

• Start Small: Begin with manageable issues to build confidence.
• Engage with the Community: Join discussions, ask questions, and seek feedback.
• Be Patient: Contributions take time to review; persistence is key.

Conclusion

My journey with OpenSauced has been a pivotal experience in my development career. It has equipped me with technical skills and improved my ability to communicate effectively within a community. If you're interested in open source, I highly encourage you to dive in and start contributing!

Call to Action

Have you contributed to open source before? What was your experience like? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below. If you found this post helpful, please give it a like and share it with your network!