Background
Production engineering is mostly reading unfamiliar code, reproducing bugs, and leaving things better than you found them. This challenge mirrors an open-source contribution or intern onboarding task.
Your mission
Fork or clone a small open-source project (ideally under 500 lines of core logic) — a UI component, utility library, or CLI helper. Fix at least two real issues (bugs, missing edge cases, or accessibility gaps), add automated tests, and document your changes.
Requirements
- Target repo — actively maintained or clearly licensed; cite the original URL.
- Two fixes minimum — each with a before/after explanation and reproduction steps.
- Tests — unit or integration tests covering your fixes; show passing output.
- Contribution artifact — open PR or patch file + explanation if upstream is inactive.
- Write-up (300–500 words) — what you learned about the codebase and how you verified fixes.
Recommended approach
- Reproduce each bug with a minimal test case first.
- Fix one issue at a time; keep PRs/commits focused.
- Run the project's existing lint/test suite before submitting.
- If adding a dependency is required, justify it in your write-up.
Evaluation criteria
- Root cause — fixes address the real problem, not symptoms.
- Test coverage — new tests fail before fix, pass after.
- Communication — clear PR description or write-up a maintainer could merge.
- Scope discipline — no drive-by refactors unrelated to the fixes.
Tips
- Good starter targets: date parsers, form validators, small React hooks, CSV utilities.
- Screenshot test runner output (Vitest, Jest, pytest, etc.).
- Credit original authors; follow their CONTRIBUTING.md if present.
Submission checklist
