View source for GSOC2010

== Welcome! ==

ASCEND has now been accepted for [http://socghop.appspot.com/ Google Summer of Code 2010]. It's official! We don't know yet how many student 'slots' we'll have, but we'd expect something similar to last year, which was 5 slots.

If you're a student interested in participating in this year's GSOC with our project, please take a look at our list of [[student projects]] to see what sorts of things are available.


Before you contact our mailing list, please make sure you've at least looked through the [[ASCEND overview]] and '''given our software a run''', and please take a read of the advice below.

This page will act as our main way of contacting all interested students during the GSOC selection process. Please see the instructions below.

Our GSOC 2009 projects from last year are summarised on our [[Development Activities]] page.

Students who have expressed interest in being in our project will be listed at [[Category:GSOC2010 interest]].


== Maximising your chances ==

Last year ASCEND had a large number of students applying to participate in the project. It was hard to judge so many applicants. This year we want to make sure we have a fair process in place so that we can offer the slots to only the most capable, most interested and most committed students.

Our solution for this is to give priority to students who have contacted us early and got involved in the project ahead of time. Here are some small tasks to get you started:


* bug reports
* bug fixes -- see our [http://ascendbugs.cheme.cmu.edu/roadmap_page.php bug roadmap] from our [http://ascendbugs.cheme.cmu.edu/ bug tracker]!
* contributed model files
* small PyGTK GUI improvements
* join in on wiki discussions about [[next-generation ASCEND syntax]]
* propose new areas where ASCEND could be used
* try building ASCEND on a platform we haven't tried yet
* update our Canvas GUI for recent changes to the Gaphas API
* expanding the wiki with new examples, discussions, or documentation.

To get involved, try downloading our [[VersionManagement|source code]], [[Building_ASCEND|building it]], and running it. Try writing your own model files (it's not as easy as it first looks). Experience the things that ASCEND does to help you when debugging your model file. If you experience any problems at all, please contact us on the ascend-sim-users mailing list (see [[support]]).

Of course, we'll still consider strong students who haven't done the above, but it will be much easier for us to trust our decision if we've already seen what you can do.


'''UPDATE''': We have now received quite a lot of email enquiries from students. We would like to urge students who are interested in our project - especially the ones who have taken some time to learn what it's all about - to make their official applications [http://socghop.appspot.com/ the GSOC site]. This will give us a little chance to give feedback to students in the case that we have multiple strong students applying for a single project, so that alternative proposals can be made.

It is suggested that you initially (and soon) put in a single proposal for a single project, which ideally you will have discussed with us. If necessary, we may suggest that you put in an additional proposal, if there is too much competition for certain topics.

'''UPDATE''': There have been a few students who have submitted applications that don't meet the requested format from the application template (below). If that applies to you then please note that your ability to follow instructions will be duly considered in our ranking process!&nbsp;:-)


== So we can contact you ==

If you want to hear and news about our application process, please 


# create an account on this wiki
# create a 'user' page containing the 'tag' text '''[[Category:GSOC2010 interest]]''', then
# set MediaWiki to 'watch' this page for you.

You might want to include some information about yourself on that 'user' page, but please note that those pages are publicly visible, and we're certainly not ''requiring'' you to put your name or email address on there.


== Programming exercises ==

[[Ben Allan]] has prepared a couple of programming exercises that can also be attempted by students wishing to demonstrate their ability to join the ASCEND project. See [[Category:GSOC2010]] for a list.



== A note about bug-fixing ==

If you decide to try to work on a solution for one of the bugs on the bug tracker:


* Note that the bug-tracker requires you to register before you can annotate bugs etc.
* Please add a 'note' on the bug in question, something like "I'm working on this bug; I'll post my results here before (DATE)".
* You may wish to also send a note to the ascend-sim-users mailing list, so that other people don't try to go and solve the same bug.
* There are lots of bugs in there that have been assigned to someone but have not been worked on yet. If you see a bug like that then you can probably work on it too, just check with the mailing list first.
* When you've fixed the bug, please attach a 'patch' file, which can be generated using the command "svn diff &gt; mypatch.patch" in Linux.
* If you don't manage to fix the bug, report what you found, and any thoughts on what needs to be done before the bug can be fixed.

== Application Template ==

Here is the ASCEND application template. This text should be used in your submission via the [http://socghop.appspot.com GSOC online form]. Please make these questions formatted in '''bold''', and your answers in plain black text. Please keep all unnecessary other formatting to a minimum.

'''Name, email address'''
'''Phone number'''

* Can be yours or someone who knows you, your university department, etc -- for contacting you in case you're not online and not responding to email
* Your Google Talk ID.
'''What is your proposed project?'''

* TITLE of the project.
* GOALS of the project -- reason that it needs doing.
* TASKS -- break down the project into a list of smaller pieces.
* MILESTONES -- which tasks will you complete by mid term? what will you complete by the end?
* Show us that you've thought carefully about what will be required of you, and how you will achieve it. Independent thought required here!
* Milestones will be carefully discussed in greater detail later, with those students who are accepted. We might need to adjust things a bit if you are being over/under confident.
'''What course(s) you are studying/have studied, and where?'''

* Your current enrolment status.
'''How many full-time years of study have you have completed at university?'''

* Also how many more years of study required to complete your course?
'''Details of your engineering, science, maths and computer-science study/experience.'''

You may wish to provide us a with a link to your statement of results.

'''List of open-source software you currently use/contribute to.'''
'''Languages that you can code in.'''
'''Non-trivial programming projects that you have completed.'''
'''Skills that you have that will be relevant to the project you've applied for.'''
'''Evidence that you've taken the time to learn to use ASCEND and understand what it's all about.'''

* Please links to sample ASCEND model(s) that you have written.
* Do you think ASCEND is a useful program?
* What sort of problems do you think ASCEND is good for solving? What sort not?
* If ASCEND needs to be developed further, what things is it missing the most?
'''Evidence that you've obtained the ASCEND source code and compiled it on your own system.'''

* Maybe details of any contributions that you've already made to ASCEND, bugs you've fixed, etc.
* Link to a screenshot of your own solved model.
* Link to your own 'config.log' file and SCons output from the build process (in the case that you haven't fixed any bugs)
'''Other time commitments that you will have during the GSOC contribution period (study, exams, employment, etc).'''

* NOTE: It is expected that you should spend 40 hours per week working on your GSOC task(s).
* Exams that overlap GSOC will be tolerated in most cases, but only if notified in advance.
* It is NOT acceptable to be completing your GSOC as a 'night job'. We expect to be able to contact you (via Google Talk or similar) at all times during normal working hours, throughout the entire GSOC period, unless you've notified us in advance.
'''What is the value of FOSS?'''
'''Contact details for someone at your university who can confirm your enrolment status and academic performance if we deem it necessary.'''

* This should include a web address for a university web-page that includes the person's name, title, and contact details
* The email address should be an official university email adddres, not a gmail etc.
* You may wish to ask them to send us a (very short) letter of recommendation.

== Recognition ==

We will undertake to give proper recognition for all ''useful'' contributions made during the GSOC application process, even for people who don't end up being granted a 'slot'. One way of doing this is to record your contribution here on the wiki. The other way is to add your name as a contributor such that your contribution appears on Ohloh ([http://www.ohloh.net/projects/3410]). Feel free to raise this matter with us if you have any concerns.




 [[Category:Development]]
[[Category:GSOC2010]]