Gear Up for Hacktoberfest: IIT Mandi Students Empowering Open Source, Together!

IIT Mandi Coders 🧑‍💻: Unite for Hacktoberfest 2024!

Hey there, budding coders and open-source enthusiasts of IIT Mandi! 🚀

Ever noticed how ants work together to build something incredible? Well, that’s the essence of Hacktoberfest—collaboration! This October, we invite you to be a part of something bigger than yourself, by contributing to the HackQuest Repo and the open-source community.

Why Contribute?

Because together, we can create a robust codebase that will not only showcase our collective coding brilliance but also help us all grow. By contributing, you're building a repository by IITians, for IITians, tackling real coding challenges that we all face. Plus, it’s an amazing opportunity to kickstart your open-source journey, laying the foundation for bigger achievements, like Google Summer of Code (GSoC).

Hacktoberfest: A Gateway to Open Source

Hacktoberfest is a month-long celebration of open-source, where developers across the world contribute to meaningful projects. It’s the perfect stepping stone to explore open source if you're new to the game, or to level up if you’ve already dipped your toes in it.

Register here: Hacktoberfest Registration

After registering, you’ll need to submit four successful PRs (Pull Requests) to earn your limited-edition Hacktoberfest swag and digital badge! 🎉

Why Contribute to HackQuest?

HackQuest is our dedicated repository for Competitive Programming and Algorithm Mastery. Here’s why you should get involved:

Tackle common competitive programming problems that you’ll encounter in coding contests and interviews.
Contribute your own algorithms and problem sets, enriching the HackQuest community with diverse challenges that help all IIT Mandi students.
By participating, you’re not just improving your skills; you’re also helping your peers learn through collaboration and shared knowledge.

Step-by-Step Guide to Your First Contribution 🚀

Set Up Your Workspace and Check Out the "Issues" Tab 🖥️

Before you dive into coding, ensure your development environment is set up. VS Code is a good choice for beginners, but use whatever makes you comfortable. Head to the "Issues" tab in HackQuest for a list of tasks you can start with.
Fork the Repository 🍴

Go to the HackQuest Repository and click the "Fork" button. This creates your own copy of the repository to work on.
Clone Your Forked Repository 📥

On your forked repository, click the "Code" button and copy the URL. Then, use the command git clone URL in your terminal to get the code locally.
Create a New Branch 🌿

Work on a separate branch to keep your changes organized. Use the command git checkout -b branch-name.
Make Your Changes ✍️

Contribute your code—whether it’s a new algorithm, bug fix, or feature improvement.
Commit and Push 🚀

After making changes, commit them with a meaningful message. Use git add ., git commit -m "Your message here", and git push origin branch-name to send your work to your forked repository.
Open a Pull Request (PR) 📤

Head back to the HackQuest Repo and submit your pull request. Explain your changes clearly.
Wait for Review 👀

Your PR will be reviewed. Stay tuned for any feedback and make revisions if needed.
Celebrate Your Contribution 🎉

Once your PR is merged, congrats! You’ve successfully contributed to the open-source community and helped strengthen the IIT Mandi codebase.

General Guidelines for Contributions:

Clean & Readable Code: Write code that future you—or someone else—can understand.
Comment Where Necessary: Document complex logic to make it easier for others.
Avoid Duplication: Check for existing implementations before adding new ones.
Stick to the Theme: Make sure your contributions align with Competitive Programming.

🚫 What Will Get Your PR Rejected:

Plagiarism or submitting someone else’s work.
Incomplete or broken code.
Ignoring the above guidelines.

Exploring Beyond HackQuest:

Hacktoberfest is not just about one repository—here’s where you can explore other open-source projects:

Learn More About Open Source:

If you’re new to open source, check out these resources:

Together, let’s make Hacktoberfest 2024 a month of learning, contributing, and celebrating the power of collaboration. The open-source world is waiting for your code. Let’s fortify our open-source skills, IIT Mandi style!