This page coordinates the Google "Summer of Code" projects involving Python and mentored by the Python Software Foundation (PSF).
Based on previous years, we are expecting a lot of competition so when making your application it is important to note that the PSF is looking for projects that:
- enhance an existing Python project rather than start something complete from scratch;
- contribute to the Python community rather than are merely written in Python.
The 2007 PSF SoC coordinator is JamesTauber (jtauber at jtauber dot com). Contact him if you have any questions.
Students: How to submit a proposal
Student applications are now open.
Looking at the list of PSF SummerOfCode/Mentors can help you craft your proposal to match their interests.
Tips on participating
- Do not overbook yourself. Working on your project should be your main activity for the entire summer.
- You must provide weekly status reports.
- Participate in the developer community by joining python-dev, jython-dev, or whatever mailing list is appropriate.
- If you get stuck, ask for help instead of silently struggling. You can ask your mentor for help, or post a question to the development mailing list.
- You will be expected to learn how to use SVN.
Mentors: How to apply
The mentor's responsibility is to ensure the student makes progress. This could entail coaching them, providing motivation, making sure they aren't stuck, answering technical questions, or pointing the student to the proper resources.
Mentors should expect to get a weekly status report from their students, and should badger students who are not communicating. The weekly status should be reported to the PSF SoC coordinator.
However, the mentor is not expected to do work for the student.
Mentoring duties are expected to take a couple of hours per week.
See Google's Advice for Mentors
If you are interested in becoming a mentor:
Add your name to the mentor list at SummerOfCode/Mentors.
join the soc2007-mentors mailing list
Project ideas
For 2007, the PSF would like to concentrate on proposals that advance PSF projects (CPython and its documentation, Jython and its documentation, the Python web site). That said, projects relating to other Python libraries, applications or implementations (PyPy) that are relevant to the promotion of the Python programming language are also encouraged.
The following pages list some ideas:
CodingProjectIdeas/PythonCore -- ideas for the CPython interpreter.
https://www.drproject.org/DrProject/wiki/DrProjectSoC2007 -- DrProject ideas
http://wiki.python.org/jython/SummerOfCode -- Jython projects.
http://codespeak.net/pypy/dist/pypy/doc/project-ideas.html -- Some ideas for PyPy
http://code.google.com/p/sympy/wiki/SummerOfCode -- Ideas for SymPy
http://code.google.com/p/pyjamas/wiki/SummerOfCode -- Idea for Pyjamas
The Docutils to-do list contains a wealth of ideas. Important projects are prioritized. Subscribe to the docutils-develop list and ask for advice.
http://webpy.infogami.com/ideas -- ideas for web.py
http://pyblosxom.sourceforge.net/blog/static/soc2007.html -- ideas for PyBlosxom
http://code.google.com/p/crunchy/wiki/SummerOfCodeIdeas -- ideas for Crunchy (educational software).
http://www.pysoy.org/wiki/SoC2007 -- ideas for PySoy (3d engine)
See also SummerOfCode/Mentors where potential mentors have mentioned projects they are willing to mentor.
Other Organizations using Python
If you can't find a well-suited PSF project, but you still want to do something with Python for SOC 2007, you can also consider the projects offered by:
Kamaelia, BBC Research (http://code.google.com/soc/bbc/about.html and http://kamaelia.sourceforge.net/SummerOfCode2007)
MoinMoin (see GoogleSoc2007 )
Open Source Applications Foundation (http://code.google.com/soc/osaf/about.html)
Plone Foundation (http://code.google.com/soc/plone/about.html)
SCons (http://code.google.com/soc/scons/about.html and http://www.scons.org/wiki/GSoC2007)
Subversion (http://code.google.com/soc/svn/about.html)
The Space Telescope Science Institute (http://code.google.com/soc/stsci/about.html)
Zope Foundation (http://code.google.com/soc/zope/about.html)
All the mentoring organizations are listed here: http://code.google.com/soc/