| # Melange, the Spice of Creation |
| |
| ## Melange has been retired |
| |
| Melange has been retired. See |
| [this blog post](http://google-opensource.blogspot.com/2016/03/goodnight-melange.html) |
| for details. |
| |
| ## What is Melange? |
| |
| Melange is the combination of a [framework](SoCOverview.md) and multiple web |
| applications (including [GSoC](GSoC.md) and [GHOP](GHOP.md)) implemented to be |
| [deployed on Google App Engine](AppEngine.md). |
| |
| ### Replacing the GSoC web application |
| |
| Originally, Melange was envisioned as an effort to produce an |
| open-source implementation of the [Google Summer of Code](GSoC.md)<sup>TM</sup> web |
| application. At first, the GSoC web application appears to be part |
| [content management system](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_management_system), |
| part |
| [issue tracking system](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticketing_system), |
| and part |
| [customer relationship manager](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_relationship_management). |
| |
| But, while the GSoC web application shares some features in common with |
| those systems, it is quite different in its purpose. The purpose of GSoC |
| (which is facilitiated by the web application) is to serve as a catalyst |
| for introducing college students to open source and free software |
| communities, in the hopes that these students would find a homes in those |
| communities and thrive. To that end, the GSoC web application tends to |
| be more specific and less general than existing systems like those |
| mentioned previously. |
| |
| As much as GSoC attempts to inspire new open source developers, it has not |
| previously been able to actually embrace them in the development of the |
| GSoC web application itself. Initially, with the launch of the enabling |
| [Google App Engine](http://code.google.com/appengine/), the plan was to create |
| an open-sourced GSoC web application. It would have to be created from |
| scratch, because the existing code is (unfortunately) wired directly to |
| Google infrastructure interfaces, which are old enough to be quite |
| unlike AppEngine. |
| |
| The [Open Source Programs Office (OSPO)](http://code.google.com/opensource/) |
| at Google believes in promoting the release of Google source code under |
| open source licenses. [Google Summer of Code](GSoC.md)<sup>TM</sup> is a major |
| program for the OSPO team. So, it makes sense for the OSPO team to |
| develop the GSoC web application as open source and in the open. And, |
| now that hosting infrastructure with Google scalability is available |
| via AppEngine, we intend to do just that. |
| |
| ### Moving beyond the GSoC web application |
| |
| It seems there are other real-world programs and sponsors that are |
| interested in a workflow similar to that found in the GSoC web |
| application. In order to take advantage of hosting on AppEngine, |
| the existing GSoC web application needs to be rewritten from scratch. |
| Given that necessity, _now_ seems like the ideal time involve the |
| community of users (mentors, students, and organization administrators) |
| of the existing web application in the creation of something that can |
| be used not just by Google, but by anyone, to host programs like the |
| [GSoC](GSoC.md) and [GHOP](GHOP.md), to the continued benefit of open source |
| and free software. |
| |
| So, the goal of this project is not merely to open-source the GSoC web |
| application, but to create a framework for representing open source and |
| free software contribution workflows. Using this framework, and copying |
| and modifying the Melange web applications built upon it, it should be |
| possible for anyone to host future programs similar to |
| [GSoC](GSoC.md) and the |
| [Google Highly Open Participation](GHOP.md)<sup>TM</sup> Contest) on the |
| [Google App Engine](http://code.google.com/appengine/). |
| |
| This project will be a success if these real-world programs continue |
| to bring students and other open source and free software contributors |
| together with existing open source and free software organizations. |
| As previous years of _Google Summer of Code_ have shown, the open source |
| and free software communities benefit greatly from the catalyst for |
| development that these programs provide. |
| |
| ### Building a community to help open source and free software build theirs |
| |
| This project is not just about code. It is about forming a thriving |
| community. The results of the Melange project will not be |
| [thrown over the wall or worked on in secret](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtYJoatnHb8), |
| with only occasional releases and annual sponsorship of |
| _Google Summer of Code_ programs. Instead, we will actively engage the |
| open source and free software community to continue to make these |
| programs, and the web applications that make them possible, better and |
| more effective at welcoming new contributors to the community. |
| |
| ### Contributing |
| |
| To expand the usefulness of the fruits of this development effort, we |
| seek suggestions, guidance, and contributions (in the form of source |
| code, of course!) from the open source and free software community. |
| Please see the [guidelines for contributors](ContributionTerms.md) if you are |
| interested in contributing to the design and development of Melange and |
| the [SoC framework](SoCOverview.md). |
| |
| ### Concept Diagram |
| |
| [](http://soc.googlecode.com/svn/wiki/images/MelangeOverview.dot) |
| |
| ## Legend |
| |
| | **-------** | direct dependency (inheritance, method call, etc.) | |
| |:------------|:---------------------------------------------------| |
| | **- - - -** | indirect dependency (call-back, etc.) | |
| |
| |
| --- |
| |
| _Copyright 2008 Google Inc._ |
| _This work is licensed under a_ |
| [Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License](http://soc.googlecode.com/svn/wiki/html/licenses/cc-by-attribution-2_5.html). |
| [](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/) |
