Johan Hutting

Open sourcing a library: how hard can that be?

Think publishing to Maven Central is a nightmare? Discover the modern tools and workflows that make the process surprisingly straightforward.

Open sourcing a library: how hard can that be?
#1about 4 minutes

The benefits and risks of open sourcing code

Open sourcing your code provides valuable feedback and collaboration opportunities but also carries risks like security vulnerabilities and the need for commitment.

#2about 3 minutes

Building a complex library for a niche community

A save game parser for Diablo II serves as a real-world example of building a library with complex internal logic for a specific user base.

#3about 3 minutes

Navigating licensing, technical hurdles, and anonymity

Key challenges include selecting the correct open source license like LGPL, handling technical details like byte order, and deciding on your level of anonymity.

#4about 2 minutes

Creating effective documentation for future contributors

Go beyond basic code comments by providing detailed JavaDoc, example projects, and Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) to explain key choices.

#5about 2 minutes

Automating maintenance with dependency and refactoring tools

Use tools like OpenRewrite to automate dependency updates, code migrations, and style enforcement, which simplifies long-term maintenance.

#6about 1 minute

Catering to developers and non-technical end users

A library has different consumers, such as developers who need a clean API and end-users who need a functional, customizable final product.

#7about 2 minutes

Evaluating JitPack, GitHub Packages, and Maven Central

Compare publishing platforms like JitPack, GitHub Packages, and Maven Central based on ease of use, security, and consumer friction.

#8about 6 minutes

Navigating the modern Maven Central publishing process

The new Sonatype Central portal simplifies publishing with requirements like domain verification, file validation, and PGP signing, which is easier than expected.

#9about 2 minutes

Key lessons learned from open sourcing a library

The biggest challenges are long-term maintenance and community support, not the technical steps of publishing to a repository like Maven Central.

Related jobs
Jobs that call for the skills explored in this talk.

Software Engineer

tree-IT GmbH

tree-IT GmbH
Bad Neustadt an der Saale, Germany

€54-80K
Intermediate
Senior
Java
TypeScript
+1

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