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I want to contribute for open source projects. Personally I have used many tools and I believe it's time for me to do something in return.
I'm not sure where to begin with. Are there any software automation projects going on for developed software? If so give me some direction. (I have looked into Git Hub and could find test automation projects).
Also please share some ideas if you know about open source community to explore
Guess this question will be useful for me and others.
One of the biggest and best testing communities in free software is with LibreeOffice. They have an extensive documentation, tips, and well-organized bug tracking system.
To contribute with code, you look for open feature requests in the issue tracking systems or complete feature. E.g., Pact-JVM didn't have a Maven task to create a tag in a contract; people would have to make a HTTP call to the Pact Broker.
I then created the Maven task: https://github.com/pact-foundation/pact-jvm/pull/1251 Using TDD helped me to understand the new codebase and change it without fear of going in a bad direction.
Updating or correcting documentation is a great way as well. Even if people write documentation, with time and grow of the program, the documentation style tends to leave space to improve.
In general, I would suggesting finding a new contributor friendly project, learn the necessary technology and do a small contribution of any sort.
There are many ways you can contribute to open-source projects as a Quality Assurance Engineer. Some suggestions include:
Participating in bug triage: Many open-source projects have a process for triaging and identifying bugs in the software. You can help by reproducing and reporting bugs, or by verifying that fixes have been properly implemented.
Writing or improving documentation: Open source projects often rely on community contributions to improve documentation and help guides. You can help by writing or improving documentation for a project you use and know well.
Implementing new features or improvements: If you have ideas for new features or improvements to an open-source project, consider implementing them and submitting a pull request.
Reviewing pull requests: Many open-source projects have a review process for changes submitted by contributors. You can help by reviewing pull requests and providing feedback on the changes.
Testing pre-release versions: Many open-source projects have pre-release versions that need testing before they can be released to the general public. You can help by testing pre-release versions and reporting any issues you encounter.
To find open-source projects to contribute to, you can try searching for projects on GitHub or other online repositories. You can also try joining online communities or forums for open-source projects in your area of interest to find out about opportunities to contribute.
Contributing to the open source community can be a great way to give back and improve your skills as a Quality Assurance Engineer. Here's how you can get started:
Look for open source projects on platforms like GitHub that interest you and where you can see opportunities to contribute. Check for labels like "Help Wanted" or "Good First Issues" to see where the project needs assistance.
Joining the community is a crucial part of contributing effectively. Participate in forums, mailing lists, or chat rooms to ask questions and connect with other contributors.
Before you start testing, it's important to have a good understanding of the code and architecture of the project. Read through the code and ask questions if you need clarification. This will help you write effective test cases.
As a Quality Assurance Engineer, your role is to write test cases to identify bugs and improve the software's quality. Focus on complex, high-risk, or frequently used areas. Remember to document your test cases so others can understand what you are testing and why.
If you find any bugs, be sure to report them clearly and concisely. Explain the steps you took to find the bug and what you believe the solution should be. This will help the developers resolve the issue quickly.
If you have coding skills, you can also contribute to the project by improving areas of the code and submitting a pull request. Be sure to follow the project's coding standards and contribute in a way that aligns with its goals.
Keep up to date with the latest changes to the project by reading the mailing list, following it on social media, and staying involved in the community.
You contributing to open source community will not only help improve quality of software, but also help you gain experience, build your portfolio, and connect with other like-minded individuals.
Here are some references to get you started on your journey to contribute to the open source community as a quality assurance engineer:
GitHub (https://github.com/) is a popular platform for open source projects, and it's a great place to start your search. Look for projects related to software testing, automation, and quality assurance, and find projects that align with your skills and interests.
Participating in forums and discussion groups related to open source projects and quality assurance can help you learn more about the development process and connect with other contributors. The SQA StackExchange is a great resource where you can help others solve their testing-related issues.
Open source test automation frameworks, such as Selenium, Appium, and Cucumber, are widely used in the industry. Joining their communities and contributing to the development and maintenance of these frameworks is a great way to make a meaningful impact.
You can also contribute to open source projects by reporting bugs and requesting features. This helps improve the quality of the software and makes it more usable for others.
If you're interested in security testing, Open Bug Bounty (https://www.openbugbounty.org/) is a platform that rewards security researchers for finding and reporting vulnerabilities in websites. As a QA engineer, you can use your skills to find and report vulnerabilities and get recognition for your contributions.
Mozilla (https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/) is a non-profit organization that develops open-source software, including the popular Firefox web browser. You can contribute to Mozilla's projects by reporting bugs, writing test cases, or fixing issues.
The Apache Software Foundation (https://www.apache.org/) is another non-profit organization that supports the development of open-source software. You can contribute to their projects by reporting bugs, fixing issues, or contributing new features.
As an outsourced software testing QA solutions provider, Open Source is very wide community and its important to contribute whenever you can in the same. Talking about ways to you can contribute to open source projects can be by suggesting enhancements to the tool or open source project, helping them in improvising the documentation that can be useful for others as well, can also report defects/enhancements in the tool those can streamline the tool in future releases. Additionally, you can also create a case study, blog or forum that can be helpful for other users those will be using the opensource tool.
