So you've signed up for Hacktoberfest 2019 but have no clue how to get up to four Pull Requests as a beginner? Some tips to help you get started:
- Finding a suitable repository: you can use the tags that Hacktoberfest provides, but you really can search for any topic you are familiar with using git search. Be sure to use the Languages filter as well, to narrow down the search to a suitable repository.
Pro tip: If you're a non native English speaker, you can offer translations, or correct spelling mistakes in the language you're proficient with.
Be sure to read the code of conduct and especially the Contributions.md if available. This will save the owner/maintainer a lot of headaches on managing and validation your work. It will increase the odds of your PR to actually get merged into production code!
Make sure you are actually creating value. Hacktoberfest is about celebrating Open Source. If possible, create an issue first and communicate with a maintainer/owner what to pick up. Also, if you've found an issue you want to work on, make sure someone else is not already working on it.
The flow of working with clones, forks, merge requests, upstream merging can be daunting. 🤷♂️ If you have little experience in this, start out with a small change on a repository. Don't focus your efforts on the codechange but rather on familiarising yourself with the flow. The github help section is a good resource, but feel free to ask for help!
Publishing code can be scary, especially when you're just starting out. Don't worry about it! (After all, October is all about the scary stuff, isn't it? 🎃🦇) Getting exposure is a good practice, since code reviews will be part of a teams development process.
Lastly: have fun! Experiment with Open source contributions. Make changes to the extend you're comfortable with. You might end up loving the open source community! ✌️
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