How to Become an Apache SeaTunnel Committer?

Apache SeaTunnel is an open-source data integration tool designed to simplify and accelerate the collection and transmission of massive amounts of data.

In the community, a Committer refers to a member with write access to the project repository. This means a Committer can modify code, documentation, and the website themselves, and can also merge contributions from other members. There are no strict rules for becoming a Committer in Apache SeaTunnel. Typically, candidates for new Committers are active contributors and community members.

Some members may be active in several areas of the community. While they may not have sufficient "achievements" in any single area, their cumulative contributions across various fields are valuable.

As a community, we appreciate everyone's contributions to the SeaTunnel codebase, but we equally value those who help SeaTunnel grow by improving the community in any way. Members who contribute to the community's development can also become Committers (and eventually PMC members), even if they have never submitted a single line of code.

In short, becoming a SeaTunnel Committer is a high recognition of a community contributor's code quality, technical capability, and community involvement. This guide will detail how to become a SeaTunnel Committer, including basic requirements and best practices.

Prerequisites

1. Continuous contributions over the past few months.
2. Visible discussions: Discussions on the development mailing list, Slack, or GitHub issues/discussions.
   • Submit issues and suggestions: https://github.com/apache/seatunnel/issues
   • Contribute code: https://github.com/apache/seatunnel/pulls
   • Subscribe to the community development mailing list: [e-mail]
   • Development mailing list: [e-mail]
   • Join Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/apacheseatunnel/shared_invite/zt-1kcxzyrxz-lKcF3BAyzHEmpcc4OSaCjQ
3. Contributions to the community's health and the project's long-term sustainability.

Basic Requirements for Becoming a Committer

1. Continuous Contributions

   • Code Contributions: Not only should you solve problems, but you should also submit high-quality code. Focus on code maintainability, performance optimization, and architectural design. Contribute to key modules of SeaTunnel, such as seatunel-engine, seatunnel-connectors, seatunnel-transform, seatunnel-api, and others.
   • Documentation Contributions: Contributions are not limited to code. Excellent documentation writers can also become Committers. Documentation includes detailed descriptions of features, translations, user guides, best practices, etc.

2. Active Participation in the Community

   • Participate in Discussions: Regularly participate in discussions on Apache SeaTunnel's development mailing list, GitHub issues, and PR discussions, providing constructive suggestions and feedback.
   • Code Reviews: Besides submitting code, actively participate in reviewing other developers' PRs to ensure the project's code quality and consistency.
   • Bug Fixes: The community often has bugs and feature requests waiting to be addressed. Picking and solving these issues is a quick way to showcase your abilities.

3. Understanding of the Project Architecture and Core Modules

   • Have a deep understanding of SeaTunnel's architecture, especially demonstrating a certain mastery of the design and implementation of the data synchronization framework.
   • Have a certain understanding of and contribution to the various data sources and connectors supported by SeaTunnel.

How to Become an Apache SeaTunnel Committer

1. Demonstrate Consistency and Quality of Contributions

   • Before becoming a Committer, you need to demonstrate a stable and consistent record of contributions. This can include submitting high-quality PRs, participating in bug fixes and optimizations, and improving documentation. As your understanding of SeaTunnel deepens, ideally, participate in the design and development of SeaTunnel's key features. For significant features, you are welcome to submit a SeaTunnel Improvement Proposal (STIP): https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/SEATUNNEL.
   • When submitting PRs, follow Apache SeaTunnel's contribution guidelines to ensure code formatting, sufficient unit test coverage, and quick responses to feedback during code reviews.

2. Community Activity

   • Regularly participate in SeaTunnel community discussions, especially showing professional insights in discussions on technical direction, project planning, and major technical decisions.
   • Encourage participation in or initiation of community meetings, such as weekly community meetings, and make positive comments in community RFC (Request for Comment) discussions to help drive the project's evolution.

3. Gain Support from Existing Committers or PMC Members

   • The nomination for becoming a Committer usually comes from existing PMC Members. Therefore, it is crucial to actively collaborate with existing PMC Members and gain their trust and support. Demonstrate technical ability and team spirit through high-quality code reviews and active technical discussions.

4. Pass a Vote

   • When your contributions are recognized by the community, the existing PMC (Project Management Committee) will initiate a vote. If you receive enough support votes, you will be granted Committer privileges.

Best Practices for Being an Excellent Committer

1. Prioritize Code Quality and Start Small

   • Every line of code you submit should go through strict self-review. Focus on code readability, extensibility, and performance. As a SeaTunnel Committer, you are not only a code contributor but also a guardian of code quality.
   • When you first get involved in community contributions, there's no need for anything groundbreaking. Start with simpler issues from https://github.com/apache/seatunnel/labels/help%20wanted and gradually move on to more challenging problems, taking it one step at a time.

2. Learn and Share Regularly

   • As an active open-source project, Apache SeaTunnel evolves rapidly. Committers should maintain a learning attitude, mastering new data synchronization technologies and cloud-native technology stacks. At the same time, you are encouraged to share these experiences with the community to help other contributors grow.

3. Take Initiative and Responsibility

   • After becoming a Committer, you are not only responsible for your own contributions but also for helping other developers. Actively take on tasks on critical issues, such as major bug fixes, new feature development, release management, etc.

4. Promote the Long-Term Development of the Project

   • Committers should not only be executors but also promoters of the project. Propose strategic improvement plans, such as supporting new data sources or optimizing SeaTunnel's performance and scalability. Actively participate in discussions on the community's long-term planning and technical roadmap.

Urgent Issues in the Community, Welcome to Contribute

1. Help Wanted Issues: https://github.com/apache/seatunnel/labels/help%20wanted

2. Connector Development:

   • https://github.com/apache/seatunnel/issues/5652
   • https://github.com/apache/seatunnel/issues/5677
   • https://github.com/apache/seatunnel/issues/5651

3. Connector Development Tutorials:

• Dwelling on Apache SeaTunnel’s new API Connector development