A few months ago, the Google Summer of Code 2008 program officially came to an end. I don’t think I can name all the things that I’ve learned throughout the summer, since there’s just so many! But I thought I’d mention a few:

• Reading – It wasn’t until this summer, had I realized how much reading a developer does. I devoted more time familiarizing myself with the Cytoscape code base than actually developing myself. I’ve also realized that reading external resources like books and discussion boards often facilitate your ability to work independently.
• Documentation – Over the summer, I’ve truly learned the importance of documentation. Spending the time to document your code while you develop it will save a lot of time for yourself and others that will have to work with your code in the future.
• Communication – In open source projects, developers are often located in all parts of the world. It is very important to have good communication skills so problems, ideas, and concerns can be addressed and brought to the others’ attention regardless of where they are. Read the rest of this entry »