Author: nick
Date: Tue Mar 1 18:02:38 2016
New Revision: 1733117
URL: http://svn.apache.org/viewvc?rev=1733117&view=rev
Log:
Pull out the help wanted part, fix up slightly the license part, and push the
file format information (more advanced) to after the beginner-friendly parts
Modified:
poi/site/src/documentation/content/xdocs/guidelines.xml
Modified: poi/site/src/documentation/content/xdocs/guidelines.xml
URL:
http://svn.apache.org/viewvc/poi/site/src/documentation/content/xdocs/guidelines.xml?rev=1733117&r1=1733116&r2=1733117&view=diff
==============================================================================
--- poi/site/src/documentation/content/xdocs/guidelines.xml (original)
+++ poi/site/src/documentation/content/xdocs/guidelines.xml Tue Mar 1 18:02:38
2016
@@ -33,10 +33,12 @@
<section><title>Index of Contribution Guidelines</title>
<ul>
<li><link href="#Introduction">Introduction</link></li>
+ <li><link href="#WhereHelpNeeded">Where is help needed on the
project?</link></li>
<li><link href="#GetInvolved">I just want to get involved, but don't know
where to start?</link></li>
<li><link href="#SubmittingPatches">Submitting Patches</link></li>
<li><link href="#CodeStyle">Code Style</link></li>
<li><link href="#Mentoring">Mentoring and Committership</link></li>
+ <li><link href="#FileFormatInformation">File Format
Information</link></li>
</ul>
</section>
@@ -56,93 +58,32 @@
The POI project is <link
href="http://www.opensource.org";>OpenSource</link>
and developed/distributed under the <link
href="http://www.apache.org/foundation/license-faq.html";>
- Apache Software License</link>. Unlike other licenses this license allows
- free open source development; however, it does not require you to release
- your source or use any particular license for your source. If you wish
- to contribute to POI (which you're very welcome and encouraged to do so)
- then you must agree to release the rights of your source to us under this
- license.
- </p>
- </section>
- <section><title>Publicly Available Information on the file formats</title>
- <p>
- In early 2008, Microsoft made a fairly complete set of documentation
- on the binary file formats freely and publicly available. These were
- released under the <link
href="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/openspecifications/default";>
- Open Specification Promise</link>, which does allow us to use them for
- building open source software under the <link
- href="http://www.apache.org/foundation/license-FAQ.html";>
- Apache Software License</link>.
- </p>
- <p>
- You can download the documentation on Excel, Word, PowerPoint and
- Escher (drawing) from
- <link
href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc313118.aspx";>http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc313118.aspx</link>.
- Documentation on a few of the supporting technologies used in these
- file formats can be downloaded from
- <link
href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj633110.aspx";>http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj633110.aspx</link>.
- </p>
- <p>
- Previously, Microsoft published a book on the Excel 97 file format.
- It can still be of plenty of use, and is handy dead tree form. Pick up
- a copy of "Excel 97 Developer's Kit" from your favourite second hand
- book store.
- </p>
- <p>
- The newer Office Open XML (ooxml) file formats are documented as part
- of the ECMA / ISO standardisation effort for the formats. This
- documentation is quite large, but you can normally find the bit you
- need without too much effort! This can be downloaded from
- <link
href="http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-376.htm";>http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-376.htm</link>,
- and is also under the
- <link
href="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/openspecifications/default";>OSP</link>.
- </p>
- <p>
- Additionally for the newer Office Open XML (ooxml) file formats, you can
- find some good introductary documentation (often clearer for getting
- started with) at <link
href="http://officeopenxml.com/";>officeopenxml.com</link>,
- which is an independent site documenting the file formats.
- </p>
- <p>
- It is also worth checking the documentation and code of the other
- open source implementations of the file formats.
- </p>
- </section>
- <section><title>I just signed an NDA to get a spec from Microsoft and I'd
like to contribute</title>
- <p>
- In short, stay away, stay far far away. Implementing these file formats
- in POI is done strictly by using public information. Most of this Public
- Information currently comes from the documentation that Microsoft
- makes freely available (see above). The rest of the public information
- includes sources from other open source projects, books that state the
- purpose intended is for allowing implementation of the file format and
- do not require any non-disclosure agreement and just hard work.
- We are intent on keeping it legal, by contributing patches you agree to
- do the same.
- </p>
- <p>
- If you've ever received information regarding the OLE 2 Compound Document
- Format under any type of exclusionary agreement from Microsoft, or
- received such information from a person bound by such an agreement, you
- cannot participate in this project. Sorry. Well, unless you can persuade
- Microsoft to release you from the terms of the NDA on the grounds that
- most of the information is now publically available. However, if you have
- been party to a Microsoft NDA, you will need to get clearance from
Microsoft
- before contributing.
- </p>
- <p>
- Those submitting patches that show insight into the file format may be
- asked to state explicitly that they have only ever read the publicly
- available file format information, and not any received under an NDA
- or similar, and have only made us of the public documentation.
+ Apache Software License v2</link>. Unlike some other licenses, the
Apache
+ license allows free open source development. Unlike some other Open Source
+ licenses, it does not require you to release your source or use any
+ particular license for your code which builds on top of it. (There are a
+ handful of restrictions, especially around attribution, notices and
trademarks,
+ so it's worth a read of the license - it isn't scary!). If you wish to
+ contribute to Apache POI (which you're very welcome and encouraged to do
so),
+ then you must agree to grant your contributions to us under the same
license.
</p>
</section>
</section>
+ <anchor id="WhereHelpNeeded"/>
+ <section><title>Where is help needed on the project?</title>
+ <helpwanted/>
+ <p>Please note - only some of the areas where help is needed have been
listed
+ in the <link href="https://helpwanted.apache.org/";>Apache "Help Wanted!"
tool</link>,
+ many others remain only in Bugzilla or listed as TODOs in the code. Please
see
+ the section below for more on these.</p>
+ </section>
+
<anchor id="GetInvolved"/>
<section><title>I just want to get involved, but don't know where to
start?</title>
- <helpwanted/>
<ul>
+ <li>View the <link href="#WhereHelpNeeded">Apache "Help Wanted"
tasks</link> listed
+ above, in case any of those are ones you can help with.</li>
<li>Read the rest of the website, understand what POI is and what it does,
the project vision, etc.</li>
<li>Use POI a bit, look for gaps in the documentation and examples.</li>
@@ -358,6 +299,83 @@
Project</link> website.</p>
</section>
+ <anchor id="FileFormatInformation"/>
+ <section><title>File Format Information</title>
+ <section><title>Publicly Available Information on the file formats</title>
+ <p>
+ In early 2008, Microsoft made a fairly complete set of documentation
+ on the binary file formats freely and publicly available. These were
+ released under the <link
href="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/openspecifications/default";>
+ Open Specification Promise</link>, which does allow us to use them for
+ building open source software under the <link
+ href="http://www.apache.org/foundation/license-FAQ.html";>
+ Apache Software License</link>.
+ </p>
+ <p>
+ You can download the documentation on Excel, Word, PowerPoint and
+ Escher (drawing) from
+ <link
href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc313118.aspx";>http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc313118.aspx</link>.
+ Documentation on a few of the supporting technologies used in these
+ file formats can be downloaded from
+ <link
href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj633110.aspx";>http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj633110.aspx</link>.
+ </p>
+ <p>
+ Previously, Microsoft published a book on the Excel 97 file format.
+ It can still be of plenty of use, and is handy dead tree form. Pick up
+ a copy of "Excel 97 Developer's Kit" from your favourite second hand
+ book store.
+ </p>
+ <p>
+ The newer Office Open XML (ooxml) file formats are documented as part
+ of the ECMA / ISO standardisation effort for the formats. This
+ documentation is quite large, but you can normally find the bit you
+ need without too much effort! This can be downloaded from
+ <link
href="http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-376.htm";>http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-376.htm</link>,
+ and is also under the
+ <link
href="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/openspecifications/default";>OSP</link>.
+ </p>
+ <p>
+ Additionally for the newer Office Open XML (ooxml) file formats, you can
+ find some good introductary documentation (often clearer for getting
+ started with) at <link
href="http://officeopenxml.com/";>officeopenxml.com</link>,
+ which is an independent site documenting the file formats.
+ </p>
+ <p>
+ It is also worth checking the documentation and code of the other
+ open source implementations of the file formats.
+ </p>
+ </section>
+ <section><title>I just signed an NDA to get a spec from Microsoft and I'd
like to contribute</title>
+ <p>
+ In short, stay away, stay far far away. Implementing these file formats
+ in POI is done strictly by using public information. Most of this Public
+ Information currently comes from the documentation that Microsoft
+ makes freely available (see above). The rest of the public information
+ includes sources from other open source projects, books that state the
+ purpose intended is for allowing implementation of the file format and
+ do not require any non-disclosure agreement and just hard work.
+ We are intent on keeping it legal, by contributing patches you agree to
+ do the same.
+ </p>
+ <p>
+ If you've ever received information regarding the OLE 2 Compound Document
+ Format under any type of exclusionary agreement from Microsoft, or
+ received such information from a person bound by such an agreement, you
+ cannot participate in this project. Sorry. Well, unless you can persuade
+ Microsoft to release you from the terms of the NDA on the grounds that
+ most of the information is now publically available. However, if you have
+ been party to a Microsoft NDA, you will need to get clearance from
Microsoft
+ before contributing.
+ </p>
+ <p>
+ Those submitting patches that show insight into the file format may be
+ asked to state explicitly that they have only ever read the publicly
+ available file format information, and not any received under an NDA
+ or similar, and have only made us of the public documentation.
+ </p>
+ </section>
+ </section>
+
</body>
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<legal>
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