Hello, fellow coders! 👋 Today, we're going to explore how to kickstart your open-source journey on GitHub by finding a good first issue and taking action on it. Let's dive in! 🏊♂️
Step 1: Find a project you are interested in 🧐
First things first, you need to find a project that you're genuinely interested in. GitHub is a vast ocean of projects and finding the right one can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. But don't worry, you can use the 'Explore' section to browse through trending projects, or simply search for a project related to a technology you're curious about.
Step 2: Look for 'Good First Issues' 🕵️♀️
Once you've found a project that sparks your interest, it's time to look for 'Good First Issues.' These are issues that the project maintainers consider suitable for newcomers. They are typically simpler tasks that don't require deep knowledge of the project. To find them, check the 'Issues' tab of the project and look for labels like 'good first issue', 'first-timers-only', or 'beginner friendly.'
- Step 3: Understand the Issue 🧠
Before you jump into coding, take a moment to fully understand the issue. Read the description, review any provided resources, and don't hesitate to ask questions if something isn't clear. Remember, it's better to ask questions upfront than to spend hours stuck on a problem that could have been easily solved.
Step 4: Get your hands dirty with code 👨💻
Now that you understand the issue, it's time to get your hands dirty with code. Fork the repository, clone your fork to your local machine, and create a new branch for your work. Then, start coding!
Step 5: Submitting your changes 📨
Finally, after you've made your changes, commit them, push them to your fork, and create a pull request. Make sure to explain your changes clearly in the pull request description.
And voila! You've successfully found a good first issue on GitHub and took action on it! 🎉 Remember, open-source is all about learning and collaboration. So don't be afraid to make mistakes and ask for help. Happy coding! 👩💻
Top comments (2)
That's a great strategy to start working on open source!
Another tip is to look to small changes like typos in documentation, coments, variable names etc. Fix broken doc, images or something very small, that maybe don't have a issue registered but the project mantainers will be greatful for.
Thanks! I don't think I have the level yet but when I 'll be ready your input will be useful for sure😃