Picking an OSS project

The Google Summer of Code is rapidly approaching, and I'm looking to join up with an open-source software organization to do a summer project. I'll need to get up to speed in about a month, so I should probably pick a project in my current area of expertise: Javascript, PHP, ActionScript 3, Python, and C++. However, I can't resist looking at some projects that would require a new language. Here are a couple of the projects on which I'd like to work.

Linear window manager

As I wrote in my blog entry on the aging desktop metaphor, I'm sick and tired of touching my mouse to manage my windows. That's why I'd love to work on a new window manager for KDE, Gnome, or another desktop environment to create a new Con10uum-inspired interface. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if any of the orgs would be willing to spend one of their valuable students slots on this project.

Writing Haskell

I'm quite interested in learning about functional programming through Haskell, but I'm not sure if I can find a Haskell project that's basic enough for me to accomplish over the summer, but useful enough for Haskell to sponsor me. Perhaps I should give up on this one.

Working on the ES OS

I think the ES OS concept is highly interesting, and I now know C++, the language in which ES is written. However, this org's projects might still be too advanced for me. I really don't know where to start learning with a project this large.

Writing Python

If I can find a small, interesting project that I could do with Python, I'll try to join. However, the last "Python" project I tried to work on was actually written primarily in C. I'll have to be more careful.

If your OSS organization needs a volunteer over the summer, I encourage you to apply for the GSoC. If you're looking for a hard-working Python or Javascript developer, I'm your man.

My software development goals

I just recently finished my UF application — Woo-hoo! I'm glad to have it done, but I actually enjoyed writing one of the "statement of intent" essays. Here's the thought-provoking prompt.

What are the core skills and knowledge you hope to acquire by completing a degree in this major and how do you plan to apply these when you graduate?

I enjoyed elucidating what I hope to learn in my Computer Science program and how I plan to apply that knowledge. In the end, I came up with the following goals for my education and my career.

What I want to learn about programming

Good software design

In order to write readable, efficient code, I need to see examples of good code and learn what makes it good. I plan to study algorithms, design patterns, and best practices to learn how best to solve common programming problems.

Alternative programming methods and languages

If I only learn about common solutions to problems, I could never discover new solutions. That's why I'm going to learn about some of the more obscure and academic regions of software development, including functional programming, declarative programming, and other programming paradigms I don't even know about yet.

Low-level programming

I know that if I want to create truly groundbreaking software, I won't be able to rely on high-level languages and pretty abstractions. I'm going to learn about Assembly language and C in order to increase the efficiency of my own applications and to create entirely new OSs and languages.

Writing concurrent code

One of the safest bets in predicting the future of technology is that future computers will have an increasingly large number of processors. Applications that can't take advantage of multiple cores will soon be surpassed by programs that use concurrency effectively. I want to be on the winning side, so I'm going to learn to write concurrent applications with STM, Erlang, and *shudder* even threads. I believe knowledge of concurrent programming will be critical to many of my future projects.

How I will use my programming skills

Creating useful software

I have resolved to never work on an application that doesn't do something useful. Innovative code is nothing if it's part of a worthless piece of shovelware or a soulless enterprise application.

Making my software intuitive

I'll also try to make all my programs intuitive and easy-to-use. When I can, I'll put the needs and wants of the user first, before application structure, technological achievement, and even code readability, although I hope I never need to make that choice. I want my software to make a difference; it's rare that an application or library with an arbitrary, complex interface changes the world.

Improve the process of programming

I plan to work on projects that will not only serve typical computer users but also help other software developers. My goal is to make it easier for coders to write readable, efficient, correct code and create helpful, intuitive interfaces for their applications. I want to leave programming in a better state than I found it.

Explore new technologies

Memristors. Quantum computing. Optical processors. Biological computers. All these rapidly-approaching breakthrough computing technologies will require new programming methods to match. I will always be looking for opportunities to push the field of programming in new and exciting directions.

I know that I may not be able to learn all that I plan to learn, and I might not accomplish all that I hope to accomplish. However, writing out my programming goals has helped me to realize precisely what aspects of programming I find most interesting and important. I think every college student should list his education and/or career goals, if only to provide a derisive laugh or a grin of satisfaction when he reaches the end of his career.

Broward College engineering club

This semester, I have decided to participate in Broward College's engineering club. Each semester, Professor Rolando Branly gathers a group of students from the Physics classes and labs he teaches to work on an engineering project. Last semester, he and his group built a mockup capsule for low-gravity research in cooperation with Masten Space Systems. This semester, we have a more concrete project.

Professor Branly is working on securing a slot on the last shuttle mission for our experiment. We will be attempting to crystallize proteins in space!

The plan

Of course, the process begins long before the shuttle launches and ends long after. Here's a brief summary of the process.

Choose target proteins

Professor Branly has already narrowed our options down to a few proteins related to metabolism and diabetes research, but we still have a couple options. PPAR gamma is our leading choice.

Manufacture proteins

Once we've found a protein of interest, we need to acquire enough with which to work. Hopefully, we will be able to outsource this step to the chemistry/biology department, but if not, we'll need to genetically engineer a colony of E. coli bacteria to churn out our protein. Then, we must isolate the protein from the bacterial solution.

Crystallize proteins

This promises to be the most difficult and complicated step. We plan to send the proteins to the International Space Station on the last Shuttle flight, let them crystallize in anti-gravity for about two weeks, and retrieve them on the return flight of the Shuttle. Unfortunately, protein crystallization is a developing art known to few and mastered by none — Professor Branly calls it a "black art." We'll test many different solutions and methods here on Earth to try to find the perfect setup.

Shoot x-rays at our protein crystals

If we can successfully crystallize some proteins, we will analyze the crystals through a process called x-ray crystallography. In brief, we will shoot a laser of x-rays at a rotating protein crystal and record the diffraction pattern of the x-rays. I'm not sure whether we will be imaging the crystals ourselves or sending them off to a specialized facility for examination.

Analyze diffraction patterns

Finally, we're going to analyze the x-ray patterns with crystallography software. We'll use either Phenix or CCP4 to convert the patterns of x-ray dots into 3D models of the crystallized proteins. These models will allow drug companies to create molecules that can enhance or inhibit the functioning of the proteins in human cells.

Engineering club information

If you want to join the club or help us with our project, you can join our Facebook group, email our coordinator, Professor Branly, or visit our new website, BrowardEngineering.info. We'll need all the help we can get!