more /root/General/Want to help, but no Java experience?.thread
2009-03-30 05:56:59IsmAvatar
Not a problem! There's many jobs available for people who wish to help out but don't have much to any experience with Java or are frightened by the behemoth of LGM's code.

1) Jeie (Java required) - Our future image editor is a fairly new project and is still small and getting started. This is perfect for anybody too intimidated by LGM's massive codebase, but who knows Java and wants to help out. Please read the philosophy before you get started - we do NOT want another GIMP or PSP, just a simple thing like Paint or GM's built in editor.

2) Plugins (Coding experience required, any language) - If you don't know Java, I'd be more than happy to help write the interfacing code between LGM and your plugin. This is great for compilers and such. If you do know Java, all the better, because then you can write your own interfacing code and utilize a lot of LGM's internal code and backend, in which case this resource will be useful.

3) Translating (No coding. Foreign language knowledge required) - Simply download a stable version of LGM (a beta is suitable), crack it open (if jar, treat as zip), locate org/lateralgm/messages/messages.properties, and update with a language of your choice. Notice that not all of our strings are stored in this file, so some parts of LGM may not be translated this way. Also notice that at this time, we don't have any official language-choosing system, so you'll have to upload your messages.properties and have other people download them and replace it in their jar.

4) Collect/Archive/Compile feature lists (No coding) - We've been collecting lists of features usually intended for LGM. Oftentimes they're on unstable sources, so they need to be archived and/or updated frequently. Then those lists need to be compiled so they're easier for us devs to look at. See the linked thread for more info.

5) Help File (No Java. Possibly XML or HTML) - The GM help file is proprietary and often times doesn't match up with the functionality of LGM, and is stored in a non-proprietary format that Linux/Mac users have trouble opening. As such, we need a non-proprietary help file. By non-proprietary, we mean that you don't mind other people modifying and redistributing it as they see fit. The help file should be in a format that the computer can parse (e.g. XML), so that it can display fancy formatting and even pull out specific documentation for an individual function (for code completion and in-line help). If this requires multiple help files (e.g. one for users, one for code completion), that's fine. Since the filesize may tend to get large, we may make it so that the help file is downloaded separately from LGM.

6) Get creative - We're a very open and friendly group, and we're not going to stop you from getting creative with some of our stuff, like rewriting the webpages, forums, or stylesheets, collecting statistics, posting missing pieces, bug testing, suggesting features, or whatever floats your boat. Feel free to inform us of your plans and we'll try to facilitate you as best we can. Of course, our primary concern is working on LGM, which puts everything else on the backburner, so our facilitation may be limited.