OpenCms sprint FAQ

What is the purpose of the OpenCms developer sprints?

OpenCms sprints are intended to be a gathering of OpenCms developers.

The main goals of OpenCms sprints are:

• To get to know each other better
• Working on interesting OpenCms code and concepts
• Increase the cooperation in the OpenCms community
• Work on a "Common Set" of OpenCms modules and core extensions

Who should attend the OpenCms sprints?

Sprints are intended for seasoned OpenCms developers. A developer who attends a sprint should therefore have previous experience working on OpenCms projects. Newcomers to OpenCms may attend, but it should be noted a sprint is not a training session.

Who is organizing the OpenCms sprints?

The OpenCms development sprints are organized and hosted by Alkacon Software, the main OpenCms core developers.

How often will OpenCms sprints be organized?

It is our goal to make sprint sessions a regular event for the OpenCms community. It is planned to have 2 to 4 sprint sessions a year.

How are the OpenCms sprint sessions held in general?

During the first one or two hours, the topics for the sprint are jointly decided by the participants and small teams are formed to work on each topic. During most of the time afterwards, the teams will work on their computers, trying to code a proof-of-concept or lay out an initial architecture. At the end of the sprint, the participants will review the results and probably decide on how to go ahead with the started projects after the sprint session has closed.

What do I need to participate?

Besides good intentions and a strong will to cooperate, each participant just needs to bring his own notebook / computer to work with.

Why do you charge money for the OpenCms sprints?

All charges for the sprints are only to cover the costs involved in organizing the sprint event. Usually free food and drinks are served during the sprint session. Moreover, it may be required to rent a location to hold the sprint session. The charged price will cover all this costs.

Why are these events called "sprints" anyway?

The term "sprint" is commonly used in Open Source projects to describe brief and intense development sessions. According to Wikipedia:

A sprint is a short period of software development. Sprints have become popular events among some open source projects […].

The sprints organized by companies often focus on the concepts of the Extreme Programming software development method. There the sprint is directed by the coach, who suggests tasks [and] tracks their progress […].

Sprints can vary in focus. During some sprints people new to the project are welcomed and get an intensive hands-on introduction pairing with an experienced project member. […]

A significant benefit of sprinting is that the project members meet in person, socialize, and start to communicate more effectively when working together remotely.

Lookup the full article in Wikipedia.