Core Developers

Core developers are trusted contributors who play a central role in maintaining and guiding the OpenMS project. They are active participants in the development of the software and the governance of the project.

Core developers collectively form the Executive Committee, which is responsible for the long-term direction and governance of OpenMS.

Role of Core Developers

Core developers serve as maintainers and technical leaders within the project. Their role is to help ensure the quality, sustainability, and collaborative spirit of OpenMS.

Core developers typically:

  • Review and approve contributions to the codebase
  • Maintain parts of the software and its infrastructure
  • Guide contributors and help new developers get involved
  • Participate in discussions about project direction
  • Vote on governance matters when required

Responsibilities

Core developers are expected to contribute to the health of the project in several ways.

Code Review

Core developers review pull requests and help maintain code quality across the project.

Reviews should aim to:

  • ensure correctness and maintainability
  • maintain consistency with project architecture
  • provide constructive feedback to contributors

Collaboration

Core developers help foster a welcoming and collaborative community by:

  • providing helpful feedback
  • assisting new contributors
  • encouraging high-quality contributions

Governance Participation

Core developers participate in project governance through the Executive Committee. This includes:

  • discussing project direction
  • participating in votes when necessary
  • helping guide long-term development priorities

Merge Practices

Core developers typically have permission to merge pull requests into the project repositories.

To maintain code quality and transparency, the project follows these norms:

  • Pull requests should generally receive review from at least one other core developer before merging.
  • Core developers should avoid merging their own pull requests without review whenever possible.

These practices help ensure that important changes receive adequate oversight.

Becoming a Core Developer

Core developers are individuals who have demonstrated sustained, high-quality contributions to the project and a strong commitment to the OpenMS community.

Typical characteristics include:

  • significant technical contributions
  • familiarity with the architecture of the project
  • constructive collaboration with other contributors
  • consistent participation in development discussions

New core developers are added by a majority vote of a quorum of the Executive Committee, as defined in the project bylaws.

Activity Expectations

Core developers are expected to remain active participants in the project.

Activity may include:

  • contributing code
  • reviewing pull requests
  • participating in governance discussions
  • helping guide the development of the project

Members who become inactive for extended periods may be removed by a vote of the Executive Committee as described in the bylaws.

Transparency

The OpenMS project values transparency in its governance.

Core developers participate in Executive Committee meetings where project governance and major decisions are discussed. Minutes from these meetings are recorded and made publicly available unless the committee decides otherwise.

Current Core Developers

Coming soon

This list is maintained by the Executive Committee and updated as membership changes.