Re: [boost] Summer of Code 2006

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-04-20 12:12:21

"Jeff Garland" <jeff_at_[hidden]> writes:

> On Fri, 14 Apr 2006 23:22:51 +0200, Julio M. Merino Vidal wrote
>> Hello,
>> 
>> Google has just announced that there will be a Summer of Code program
>> this year.  More information can be found here:
>> 
>>    http://code.Google.com/soc/
>> 
>> I'm posting this message in the hope that Boost joins as a mentoring
>> organization.  I think this was discussed the last year, but it was 
>> not on the final organizations list.
>
> I think we were a little late getting orginzied on this -- we found out about
> it after the list of mentoring organizations were already closed.  
>
> Anyway, at least one of the mail threads started here:
>
> http://lists.boost.org/Archives/boost/2005/05/87606.php
>
>> The goal could be to develop one of the "missing" libraries (those
>> described in the Wiki, 
>
> Perhaps the unicode char/string support would be something that is doable if
> mentored appropriately.

I worry that most C++ libraries of any real importance require a level
of experience that most students, even with an experienced Boost
mentor to guide them, do not have.  I also get the impression that the
pool of students interested in developing C++ libraries will be rather
limited, in part because of the way CS is taught these days.

That said, we have a great many infrastructure projects that would be
interesting and incredibly useful to have done -- documentation tools,
website redesign, work on the build system, etc. -- and IMO some of
these are likely to have a broader resonance.

Maybe we should propose both kinds of project?

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
www.boost-consulting.com