Decoding Core Contribution talk from WordCamp San Diego 2013 Want to contribute to core, but unsure how to proceed? No problem! This session will walk you through the contributor groups in WordPress.org, and help you better understand how the project is run. You’ll learn what the process from code changes to patch acceptance looks like, to help your first contribution go more smoothly. Presented by Mike Schroder (@GetSource/DH-Shredder)

1. Decoding Core
Contribution
WordCamp San Diego 2013
Mike Schroder (DH-Shredder)
@GetSource - http://www.getsource.net

2. Who Am I?
• Mike Schroder, a.k.a DH-Shredder, a.k.a. @GetSource
• Third culture kid, enjoy the art of Coffee & Sailing
• WordPress 3.5 Recent Rockstar and wp-cli Contributor
• WordPress Core Team Rep for 2012
• Happy DreamHost Employee

3. Core Team?

4. Contributors.

5. Contributors.

7. OKAY.
How can I get on this list
of AWESOME?

8. Everyone has something
to contribute.

9. Which Contributor Group
do you belong to?

10. Contributor Groups?
• Docs
• Support
• Theme Review Team
• Plugin Review Team
• Events
• Core Code
• UI/UX Group
• Accessibility
• Polyglots
• .org Systems
• Mobile Applications
• Community

13. Not sure where to go?
Try #wordpress-contribute

14. Let’s focus on
Core Code
contribution.

15. Your First Contribution

16. If you haven’t read ...
• http://codex.wordpress.org/Contributing_to_WordPress
• The official (always in progress) handbook!
• http://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/

17. Release Cycle
• http://make.wordpress.org/core
• foreach( $releases as $release )
• Planning
• Feature Development
• Beta
• RC

18. Planning:
Choose the Scope.

19. Feature Development:
Teamwork.

20. Beta:
Features are Finished.

21. Release Candidate:
Just the Regressions.

22. Okay. I understand
the release cycle.
What’s next?

23. Start Small.

24. Look for a Need.

25. “If it’s not on Trac,
it doesn’t exist.”
-Pretty much the entire Core Team.
http://core.trac.wordpress.org

26. Reports are your friend.
• http://core.trac.wordpress.org/report
• Next Major Release:
http://core.trac.wordpress.org/report/6
• Needs Patch:
http://core.trac.wordpress.org/report/16
• Has Patch, Needs Testing:
http://core.trac.wordpress.org/report/13
• View Tickets -> Custom Query (i.e. needs-refresh)

28. Okay. I found a need.
Now What?
• Get the WordPress.org source from trunk.
• http://codex.wordpress.org/SVN
• svn co http://core.svn.wordpress.org/trunk/
• https://github.com/WordPress/WordPress
• git clone https://github.com/WordPress/WordPress.git

29. Apply the Patch, if any.
• Right-click on patch download link, copy URL
• From root of trunk:
• wget http://core.trac.wordpress.org/raw-attachment/
ticket/20000/20000.diff
(or curl -OL http://core ...)
• patch -p0 < 20000.diff

30. Now, create a patch.
• Create all patches from the WordPress root within your
trunk checkout.
• svn diff > bugNumber[.patchNumber].diff
• e.g. svn diff > 20000.2.diff
• git diff --no-prefix master > 20000.2.diff

31. Attach a patch.
• Attach it to the ticket.
• Add a note to the ticket, so that everyone cc’d is
notified.

32. No one has responded.
What now?

35. Be Persistent!

36. Learn to love IRC.
#wordpress-dev on FreeNode

37. Ask for help.

38. Ping those who are
handling your ticket!

39. Don’t rely on
wp-hackers.

40. Twitter is your friend.

41. Be prepared for rejection.

42. Iteration is key.
It’s okay if someone else has a
better idea.

43. Let’s work together to
make a better WordPress.

44. Any Questions?
• http://make.wordpress.org/
• https://irclogs.wordpress.org/
• http://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook
• http://core.trac.wordpress.org/
• http://lists.automattic.com/
• http://codex.wordpress.org/Contributing_to_WordPress
• http://aaron.jorb.in/blog/2010/03/commit-the-story-of-
writing-a-wordpress-patch/
• http://patcheswelcome.wordpress.com/
Mike Schroder (DH-Shredder)
@GetSource - http://www.getsource.net