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| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +title: "GSoC '25 Week 11 Update by Nikhil Bhatt" |
| 3 | +excerpt: "Focused on writing detailed backend and frontend documentation for MusicBlocks, improving developer onboarding and API clarity." |
| 4 | +category: "DEVELOPER NEWS" |
| 5 | +date: "2025-08-17" |
| 6 | +slug: "2025-08-17-gsoc-25-nikhilbhatt-week11" |
| 7 | +author: "@/constants/MarkdownFiles/authors/nikhil-bhatt.md" |
| 8 | +tags: "gsoc25,sugarlabs,week11,nikhilbhatt" |
| 9 | +image: "assets/Images/GSOC.webp" |
| 10 | +--- |
| 11 | + |
| 12 | +<!-- markdownlint-disable --> |
| 13 | + |
| 14 | +# Week 11 Progress Report by Nikhil Bhatt |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +**Project:** [Git backend for MusicBlocks](https://github.com/benikk/musicblocks-backend) |
| 17 | +**Mentors:** [Walter Bender](https://github.com/walterbender), [Sumit Srivastava](https://github.com/sum2it) |
| 18 | +**Reporting Period:** 2025-08-11 – 2025-08-17 |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +--- |
| 21 | + |
| 22 | +## This Week's Achievements |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | +This week was heavily centered on **documentation** for both the backend and frontend of MusicBlocks. The goal was to make the project easier to understand, set up, and contribute to for future developers. |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +### **Backend Documentation** |
| 27 | +- Wrote a comprehensive README detailing the backend's purpose, high-level design, and tech stack (Node.js, Express, TypeScript). |
| 28 | +- Documented **all API endpoints** with request/response examples: |
| 29 | + - `create`, `edit`, `fork`, `forkHistory`, `create-pr`, `openPR`, `commitHistory`, `getProjectData`, etc. |
| 30 | +- Added detailed **setup and configuration instructions**, including GitHub App requirements and `.env` variables. |
| 31 | +- Described **metadata file structure** (`projectData.json`, `metaData.json`) and their role in authentication and PR workflows. |
| 32 | +- Included **security best practices** and notes for production readiness. |
| 33 | +- Added developer instructions for **building, linting, and running tests**. |
| 34 | + |
| 35 | +### **Frontend Documentation** |
| 36 | +- Created a dedicated guide explaining **how the frontend integrates with the Git-backed backend**. |
| 37 | +- Documented **UI flows** (initialize repo, push changes, fork, browse projects, download ZIPs). |
| 38 | +- Mapped out **frontend API contracts**, including expected shapes for `getProjectData` vs `getProjectDataAtCommit`. |
| 39 | +- Described **localStorage keys** used by the frontend and their purpose. |
| 40 | +- Added **manual test checklist** and troubleshooting tips. |
| 41 | +- Clarified **legacy Planet server** replacement strategy and GitHub-based workflows. |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | +### **Developer Experience Improvements** |
| 44 | +- Consolidated documentation into a structured format, covering both **high-level workflows** and **low-level API details**. |
| 45 | +- Added diagrams and examples to reduce ambiguity for new contributors. |
| 46 | +- Made the docs self-contained: anyone can now set up backend + frontend and understand the full flow without tribal knowledge. |
| 47 | + |
| 48 | +--- |
| 49 | + |
| 50 | +## Challenges & How I Solved Them |
| 51 | + |
| 52 | +- **Challenge:** Explaining complex Git-backed workflows clearly for both backend and frontend. |
| 53 | + **Solution:** Used request/response examples, flow diagrams, and separated sections for quick starts vs deep dives. |
| 54 | + |
| 55 | +- **Challenge:** Ensuring documentation reflects **actual code behavior** accurately. |
| 56 | + **Solution:** Verified each API contract and frontend integration manually, creating a **manual test checklist** to validate workflows. |
| 57 | + |
| 58 | +- **Challenge:** Maintaining consistency between backend and frontend docs. |
| 59 | + **Solution:** Standardized naming conventions and cross-referenced related sections in both documentation sets. |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | +--- |
| 62 | + |
| 63 | +## Key Learnings |
| 64 | + |
| 65 | +- Writing clear, detailed documentation is as impactful as writing code — it **lowers the barrier to entry** for future contributors. |
| 66 | +- Learned how to **document APIs effectively**, including authentication flows, request shapes, and edge cases. |
| 67 | +- Realized the importance of documenting **project history and future improvements**, making the project more maintainable. |
| 68 | + |
| 69 | +--- |
| 70 | + |
| 71 | +## Next Week's Roadmap |
| 72 | + |
| 73 | +- Collect feedback from mentors and community on the documentation usability. |
| 74 | +- Add **deployment and CI/CD guides** for backend and frontend. |
| 75 | +- Continue refining contributor guides (including coding standards and PR workflows). |
| 76 | + |
| 77 | +--- |
| 78 | + |
| 79 | +## Resources & References |
| 80 | + |
| 81 | +- [MusicBlocks Frontend Repo](https://github.com/sugarlabs/musicblocks) |
| 82 | +- [musicblocks-backend](https://github.com/benikk/musicblocks-backend) |
| 83 | +- [octokit GitHub SDK](https://github.com/octokit/octokit.js) |
| 84 | +- [JSDoc](https://jsdoc.app/) |
| 85 | + |
| 86 | +--- |
| 87 | + |
| 88 | +## Acknowledgments |
| 89 | + |
| 90 | +Thanks to my mentors and the Sugar Labs community for providing feedback and guidance while drafting the documentation. |
| 91 | +This week’s work makes the MusicBlocks Git backend easier to adopt and extend — a key step towards long-term sustainability and community contributions. |
| 92 | + |
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