A Collection of Helpful Resources for Contributing to Projects

[anaximeno]

This document gathers helpful references for contributing to GTK projects, particularly within the Cinnamon/Linux Mint ecosystem. This is a work in progress, so contributions and corrections are welcome!

I. Core GTK & GJS Documentation:

• GTK API References:
  • GDK modules docs (C++): Although in C++, these are helpful for understanding the underlying GDK modules used in other languages.
  • GTK 3 Widgets Gallery: Visual overview of common GTK 3 widgets (relevant for Linux Mint).
  • GTK 4 Widgets Gallery: Reference for the newer GTK 4 widgets.
• GJS (JavaScript for GNOME):
  • GJS Introduction: Basic introduction to GJS, the foundation for Cinnamon's JavaScript interpreter (CJS).
  • GObject Usage in GJS: Overview of using GObject with GJS.
  • GJS Docs: Documentation for GJS tools and APIs.

II. Language-Specific Resources:

• Python:
  • Python GTK 3 Tutorial: Introduction to GTK 3 application development in Python.
  • PyGObject API Reference: Reference for PyGObject, the Python binding for GObject.
  • Debian Python packaging guide: Style guide for packaging Python libraries for Debian (relevant for Linux Mint).
  • Packaging Python Projects: Tutorial on packaging Python projects.
• Vala:
  • Learn Vala and Gtk+ from Scratch (Video Playlist): Although focused on Vala, this provides practical examples of GTK usage.
  • Vala Docummentation: Official documentation for Vala

III. Linux Mint & Cinnamon Specific Resources:

• The Linux Mint Developer Guide: Essential information for contributing to Linux Mint.
• Cinnamon Spice Repositories:
  • Applets
  • Extensions
  • Desklets
  • Actions

IV. Debian Packaging & Policies:

• Debian Developers' Manuals: Debian policy and packaging information (relevant as Linux Mint is based on Debian/Ubuntu).

V. Useful Tools:

• Devhelp: Browse installed documentation (e.g., libgtk-3-doc).
• Meld: Compare files and directories for tracking changes.
• D-feet: Inspect and interact with D-Bus interfaces.
• Glade: GUI designer for GTK applications.
• Git: Essential for contributing to projects.
• Meson: Build system used for some projects.

VI. Code Examples:

• GJS Examples: Example GTK applications written in GJS. Run examples on Linux Mint using cjs nameOfTheExampleFile.js.

VII. Graphics & Drawing:

• Cairo Documentation: Reference for Cairo, used for graphics and animations in Cinnamon.

Contributions and Corrections Welcome! This document is a work in progress. Please suggest additions or corrections with explanations.

[JosephMcc]

You left out the devhelp application. When you install doc packages such as libgtk-3-doc it's documentation will show up in the application.

[clefebvre]

Devhelp, meld (visual diff tool), d-feet (for dbus), glade (for .ui files), sublime-text, sublime-merge...

[hsbasu]

Debian Developers' Manuals - https://www.debian.org/doc/devel-manuals
Debian Policy Manual - https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/
Debian New Maintainers' Guide - https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/maint-guide/index.en.html
debian Python packaging guide - https://wiki.debian.org/Python/LibraryStyleGuide

Packaging Python Projects/codes - https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/tutorials/packaging-projects/