2025:Program/Making easy ways for new technical contributors
Session title: Making easy ways for new technical contributors
- Session type: Lecture
- Track: Technology
- Language: en
đ„ Session recording: https://w.wiki/FBMQ đ„
Problem: New contributors often struggle to understand large, complex codebases when trying to contribute to Wikimedia projects. Navigating multiple versions, issues, and commit histories can be overwhelming, especially for beginners.
Proposed Solution: To address this, I plan to develop a tool that visualizes Wikimedia codebases through data flow diagrams and relational diagrams. These diagrams will offer both high-level and low-level overviews of the code, making it easier for new contributors to understand how the project functions and where they can contribute.
Benefits: This tool will cut down onboarding time, reduce confusion, and help new contributors resolve issues faster. By simplifying the process, contributors will be able to make meaningful contributions more quickly, leading to quicker problem resolutions and fewer pull request revisions.
Description
Session Overview: Wikimedia's large codebases can be intimidating for new contributors, especially when they need to understand the project's history, multiple versions, and complex code interactions. This often results in contributors spending significant time just understanding the structure before they can even begin contributing. The challenge is clear: newcomers need an easier way to navigate and understand these large codebases to make meaningful contributions faster.
Objective: The goal of my session is to present a practical solution for overcoming this obstacleâcreating data flow and relational diagrams to visualize Wikimediaâs codebases. These diagrams will provide a clear, visual understanding of how different components interact within the system, helping new contributors quickly grasp the structure and functionality of the project. The aim is to reduce onboarding time, simplify the process of understanding complex code, and speed up the resolution of issues.
Proposed Solution: I propose the development of a tool that automatically generates these diagrams from the codebase and task descriptions. The tool will offer two types of visualizations:
Data Flow Diagrams (DFD): These diagrams will map out the flow of data through the codebase, showing how different components interact with each other and where contributors can focus their efforts. Relational Diagrams: These will show the relationships between tasks, code modules, and contributors, making it easier for new users to see how the code changes and tasks are connected. Benefits:
Faster Onboarding: New contributors will be able to grasp the codebase structure faster without needing to dive deep into every commit or issue history. Quick Issue Resolution: By visualizing the interactions and dependencies within the code, contributors can identify areas where they can make changes quickly, leading to faster fixes. Fewer Pull Request Revisions: With a clearer understanding of the code and its components, contributors will make fewer mistakes in their pull requests, reducing the back-and-forth revisions that often happen. Session Details: During the session, I will demonstrate how these diagrams will be created, using both high-level and detailed approaches to show how the tool works in practice. The session will focus on:
Understanding the Problem: Why new contributors face challenges with large codebases and how it affects their ability to contribute effectively. Presenting the Solution: How data flow and relational diagrams can simplify this process and what tools like Mermaid and Graphviz can do to generate these visualizations. Building and Implementing the Tool: I'll share strategies for how we can integrate this tool into Wikimedia projects and scale it for other open-source communities.
Impact on the Community: A discussion on how this tool can lead to faster, more efficient contributions and make the onboarding process less intimidating for newcomers. Conclusion: By simplifying the understanding of complex codebases through visual diagrams, we can help onboard new contributors faster, improve collaboration, and make the contribution process more efficient. This tool will not only benefit Wikimedia but can also be adapted to other open-source projects facing similar challenges.
- How does your session relate to the event theme, Wikimania@20 â Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability?
Inclusivity: By introducing data flow and relational diagrams, my session lowers the barriers for new contributors to understand Wikimediaâs large codebases. These visual tools make complex concepts accessible, especially for those with limited coding experience, fostering a more inclusive and welcoming environment.
Impact: The tool boosts contribution efficiency by accelerating onboarding and code comprehension. New contributors can resolve issues faster, submit higher-quality pull requests, and reduce revision cyclesâenhancing community productivity and driving faster innovation.
Sustainability: By simplifying onboarding, the tool encourages long-term contributor retention. Its reusability and adaptability ensure it can support future projects, contributing to the sustained growth of Wikimediaâs open-source ecosystem.
- What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?
Average knowledge about Wikimedia projects or activities
Resources
Speakers
- Dev Jadiya
- I am a Computer Engineer and open-source contributor from India, actively involved in Wikimediaâs technical ecosystem. As the Technical Head of Wiki Club SATI, I lead workshops, hackathons, and contribution sessions, promoting open-source collaboration. Over the past year, I have contributed to MediaWiki tools, Wikimedia Commons, Wikipedia, and Phabricator.
- I participated in major events like the 3rd Wikimedia Technology Summit 2024 in Hyderabad and the Wikimedia Hackathon 2024 in Bhubaneswar, working on MediaWiki features, bug fixes, and localization for Indic languages. In November 2024, I co-organized a MediaWiki workshop at my college, introducing students to Gerrit, Phabricator, and beginner-friendly tasks.
- In February 2025, I was invited to Metaâs standalone office in Asia for the Road to Wiki Cohort 1 Graduation, where I presented my contributions and engaged with industry experts. Through workshops and contributions, I strive to empower new contributors and drive impactful open-source initiatives.