My Hacktoberfest Journey: Redeeming Myself and Waiting for the Green Light 🚦

Flashback to My First PR... that Got Closed 🚪

Let me start with a confession—my very first PR was...closed! Yup, I’m talking about this pull request. Unfortunately, my pull request for freeCodeCamp's Developer Quiz Site got closed because I went MIA during midterms. Life got in the way, and I wasn’t able to finish what I started. Totally my fault. 😅

But hey, if life knocks you down, you bounce back stronger, right? Hacktoberfest 2024 is my chance to do just that, and I’m more prepared and determined this time!

The New Adventure Begins 🛠️

This week, I’ve been diving into a new Hacktoberfest project called Terminal Cricket (yes, cricket in your terminal!). Here's the GitHub repo link and the issue I’ve been working on. The issue involved some fun tasks like adding a boundary, loading animations, and creating a game over screen with some ASCII art magic.

What I Worked On 🏗️

The first thing I tackled was adding a terminal boundary and cleaning up the terminal when entering the game. I also threw in a loading animation for fun. Who doesn’t love a little drama when loading, right?

Here's the process I followed:

Step 1: Clear the terminal and print the boundary. I created a neat function using Python's os module to clear the terminal and some nifty ASCII art to print a boundary. Simple, but satisfying.
Step 2: Add a loading animation to spice things up. I made use of a basic loop and time delays to give that “loading...” feel.

While working on this, I realized how much I’ve grown since my first PR. Last time, I hesitated and kept overthinking the code. Now, I’m more confident in experimenting with things like loading animations and terminal effects. 🎉

The Challenge 🎯

As I progressed, I hit a small bump—the project had two main.py files. It was a bit confusing at first. I wasn’t sure if I should be making changes to both or just one. I made sure to ask the project owner for clarification to avoid messing up anything.

The learning? Always communicate with project owners, especially if you're working on someone else's code. Clarifying the project structure and expectations early saves a lot of trouble down the line.

Bat, Ball, and ASCII Art ⚾

A fun part of my contribution was adding a bat and ball ASCII art depending on whether the user chooses to bat or bowl. It was a blast to create, and it added a nice touch to the game experience. I’m excited to see if the project owner likes it!

def show_bat():
    # ASCII art for bat
    print("ASCII art of a bat displayed here!")

def show_ball():
    # ASCII art for ball
    print("ASCII art of a ball displayed here!")

The feedback from this feature might be the best part of this experience—sometimes the simplest touches make the biggest impact!

What I Learned 📚

Communication is key: I learned the hard way after my first PR was closed. This time, I’m staying in touch with the owner and waiting for feedback before submitting a pull request.
Experimentation pays off: The code was not inherently hard, but it was something I hadn't done before. Adding visual elements like ASCII art made the project more interactive and engaging, which was a new experience for me.

Waiting for the Green Light 🔦

Right now, I'm waiting for feedback from the project owner before I submit my full pull request. I’ve asked about the double main.py files (you can’t be too careful!) and want to make sure I’m following the project’s guidelines before diving in deeper.

Reflection on My First PR 🚧

Let’s rewind to my first PR disaster... The inactivity was a big miss on my part, but I’ve learned from it. This time, I’m determined to stay on top of things and keep contributing regularly—even during the madness of midterms! This blog is part of my accountability strategy.

What's Next? 🔮

I’ll be updating this blog every week with my progress. Will my new PR get merged, or will I face another learning curve? Stay tuned to find out! I’m also on the lookout for more issues to tackle—let's see what comes my way.