GSoC Contributor Guidance

What is Haystack

Haystack is the open source Python framework by deepset for building custom apps with large language models (LLMs). It lets you quickly try out the latest models in natural language processing (NLP) while being flexible and easy to use. Our inspiring community of users and builders has helped shape Haystack into what it is today: a complete framework for building production-ready NLP apps.

For more details about Haystack:

Visit our GitHub repo
Start building with tutorials in Colab notebooks
Have a look at the documentation

What is Google Summer of Code

Google Summer of Code (GSoC) is an annual program sponsored by Google that encourages university students to contribute to open-source projects during their summer break. You will have an opportunity to become part of the Open Source community, working on real-world projects under the mentorship of experienced developers while earning a stipend.

Projects

As a mentoring organisation, we provide a list of project ideas to improve Haystack by adding new feature or improving existing ones. All the projects are meant to be eventually shipped with a Haystack release, and our team of mentors will help you to push them through the finish line. Being Haystack is written in Python, that’s the language of choice for most of the projects, but writing Python extension in C or Rust, or user interfaces in Javascript might be an option at times.

You can get all the details about the latest projects and the programming language in our projects page.

Before you apply

It’s considered good practice to establish contact with and work alongside organisations and mentors way ahead of your application. Doing so will greatly increase your chances of being accepted. You can reach out to the Haystack core contributors through Github or by joining our Discord server.

Please read the Google Summer of Code student guide, it contains a lot of helpful information about the program and about participating as a student.

Another good resource is the Google Summer of Code FAQ, it details specifics about deadlines and how the program typically runs.

Application instructions

Please provide a CV that includes experience about any prior contribution to Open Source Software.
In your application please include answers to the following questions:
- What do you like about Haystack that got you interested?
- How can our mentors help you getting the best out of this experience?
- Is there anything that you’ll be studying or working on whilst working alongside us?
After selecting a project assignment from the ideas page, please create a well-defined schedule (can be weekly or bi-weekly). This schedule should include clear milestones and deliverables associated with the project.

During the application review we might ask students follow-up questions about their skills and experience, and how well and promptly they communicate with us will be part of the evaluation process.