How to
Contribute to Qt

Hello 👋

PSA

Outline 📖

Why Contributing to Qt? 🧐

• Help others 🙌
• Learn and build confidence 💪
• Better releases ⭐
• Broad ecosystem 🤝
• Improve your portfolio and network ✅

What is a Contribution? 🤔

What Contributions count ? (1/2)

• Suggesting future developments 🧪
• Reporting bugs
• Triaging bugs
• Fixing bugs 🐞
• Programming (writing code, new tests, etc.)
• Reviewing other people's code
• Writing Documentation 📝

What Contributions count ? (2/2)

• Participating in the release process
• Designing web sites and graphics 📈
• Organizing conferences 🧑‍🏫
• Doing community work (events)
• Supporting and coaching new Users 🙌
• and also...

Qt Contributors Summit 2021

• Right after Akademy! June 22nd and 23rd 🥳
• Check the Wiki for more information!
  • wiki.qt.io/Qt_Contributors_Summit_2021
• If you get ideas after this talk
  • wiki.qt.io/QtCS2021_-_Improve_the_contributor_experience

First Steps 🎬

Getting Started 💪

1. Create a Qt Account
2. Get the Source and Build Qt
3. Set up and Configure JIRA
4. Set up Gerrit

1. Create a Qt Account

• Needed for JIRA, Gerrit
• Lets you edit the Wiki
• Single sign-on for various other things

1. Create a Qt Account

⭐ More information at wiki.qt.io/How_to_Create_Qt_Account

2. Get the Source and Build Qt

Clone and initialize

          git clone https://code.qt.io/qt/qt5.git
          cd qt5/
          ./init-repository
        

• Can use a mirror (e.g. github) if access to is slow (e.g. outside Europe).
• Or even set up your own local mirror.
• init-repository has many options!

2. Get the Source and Build Qt

Clone and initialize

2. Get the Source and Build Qt

Configure

        ./configure <ARGS>
        

2. Get the Source and Build Qt

Configure

2. Get the Source and Build Qt

Build & Install

        cmake --build . --parallel
        cmake --install .
        

2. Get the Source and Build Qt

Build & Install

2. Get the Source and Build Qt

Build & Install

⚠️ You don't need to build everything!

3. JIRA: Qt's Tracking System

Getting set up

• Register account
• Configure your dashboard
• Explore the different projects
  • QTBUG, QTCREATORBUG, PYSIDE, etc

3. JIRA: Qt's Tracking System

Getting set up

3. JIRA: Qt's Tracking System

Reporting a bug

• Search to see if it's reported already
  • there might be a workaround
• Analyze the problem/error
  • What did you do? What happened? Why is that wrong? What did you expect?
• Communicate your environment
  • Which version of Qt? Is it a regression? Have you tried a later version?
• Watch the report to hear what's going on and answer questions. 👀
• Help the investigator to investigate it. 👍

4. Gerrit: Qt's code collaboration tool

Configuring

• Register with the site
• You can configure various settings
• Upload an SSH public key
• Configure SSH and Git locally

4. Gerrit: Qt's code collaboration tool

Settings

4. Gerrit: Qt's code collaboration tool

Reviewing changes

• Fresh eyes 👀
  • spot mistakes the author can't see.
• No need to build or test the code
  • but feel free to do so 🙏
• It's fine to ask questions or admit confusion.
• Be gentle ! 💯

Reviewing your first patch

Submitting a patch 🧑‍💻

Changing Code

Making the change

• When you fix a bug yourself, or make some other improvement.
• While working: commit early, commit often.
• Include tests & Update affected documentation.
• Rebase later, to make each commit do one coherent thing, that's easy to review.
• Heed the advice of the Commit Policy.

Changing Code

Send it for review

• Review and test before you push!
• Give each commit a Pick-to: footer
  • for suitable branches
• Push to gerrit's refs/for/dev branch.

Let's submit a patch 🎉

Submitting your first patch

(*) You can also use a local branch to work on your patch instead of using dev.

Getting it reviewed

Find reviewers

• git blame can tell you who's worked on this code before.
• In Gerrit, invite those folk to review your change.
• PreTest; a 'bot will build, test and report back. 🤖

Getting it reviewed

Engage with feedback

• Be (reasonably) patient. 🧘
• Work with reviewers to make the patch better.

Getting it reviewed

Integration

• Once you get approval, Stage.
  • If that fails, read what went wrong.
  • If unrelated, Stage again;
  • otherwise, fix what broke and push again.
• A 'bot will handle the Pick-to footer:
  • help any reviews that produces to get integrated, too.
• Don't forget about testresults.qt.io/coin

Not keen on writing C++? 🙇

More interesting projects

Declarative Interfaces

import QtQuick 2.0

Rectangle {
    id: screen
    width: 490; height: 720
    SystemPalette { id: activePalette }
    Item {
        width: parent.width
        anchors {
          top: parent.top;
          bottom: toolBar.top
        }
        Image {
            id: background
            anchors.fill: parent
            source: "../background.jpg"
        }
    }
    …
}

More interesting projects

Python code 🐍

        import sys
        from PySide6.QtWidgets import (QApplication,
                                       QMainWindow,
                                       QPushButton)

        class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
            def __init__(self, parent=None):
                super().__init__(parent)
                self.b = QPushButton("My Button", self)
                self.b.clicked.connect(self.handle)

            def handle(self):
                self.button.setText("Ready")

        if __name__ == "__main__":
            app = QApplication()
            window = MainWindow()
            window.show()
            sys.exit(app.exec())

More interesting projects

Data Analysis 🐼

…and don't forget about the Qt Wiki

• Every Wiki needs gardeners. 🌱🧑‍🌾
• When you eventually find a page with the info you wanted
  • Ask: what would have made that easier to find ?
• Maybe add it to a category,
  • Or link its category into the broader hierarchy.
• Add links to it from the places you first expected to find it.
• Add to the page some mention of the keywords you first searched for.

Improve the status quo

Where to get help? 🆘

Useful Resources

How to
Contribute to Qt