After getting more familiar with the Gleam language and the compiler’s code base, I’ve started working on the language server. While not the most interesting part of the Gleam project, the language server is the most underdeveloped and approachable as a first-time contributor. I originally tried working on gleam#4280, a feature request for displaying constant values on hover, but I closed my PR after realizing that some design decisions for the feature hadn’t been finalized yet. Although overlooking that was embarrassing, working on the feature led me to realize that the Gleam language server didn’t support hovering custom types. I opened gleam#4451 and have been working on it since.

Ultimately, the goal for the rest of the semester is to fix a real bug within the compiler. I’ve even turned on notifications for new issues in the repo in hopes that I can claim an approachable compiler bug. Even if I don’t manage to work on the compiler, I’m happy with working on the Gleam ecosystem. I’ve recently been playing around and creating an HTTP service with Gleam, so even working on the language server is useful for me.

This week in class, Shivam gave a presentation on his journey into open source, and I found his success in contributing to large projects inspiring. I think my weakest area as a software engineer is in reading code and understanding its structure, and Shivam’s anecdote of contributing to Firefox, while delivered in a humorous tone, speaks to his patience and ability to read code well. Part of the reason I enjoy contributing to open-source projects is practicing that muscle. Hopefully I’ll reach Shivam’s level soon!