Inkscape Community

Help Using Inkscape => Beyond the Basics => Topic started by: brynn on May 25, 2017, 06:33:13 PM

Title: Bugs or New Features for Inkscape
Post by: brynn on May 25, 2017, 06:33:13 PM

Hi Friends,
As Inkscape is an open source  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source)project, anyone is welcome to request new features and/or report bugs. If you're thinking of a particular new feature that you'd like to see in Inkscape, or you think you've found a bug you're welcome to discuss it here.  Maybe there already is a way to do what you want, or work around the bug, but you just haven't found it yet?

However, note that you won't be able to discuss it with developers here (or in any forum) since Inkscape developers don't usually participate in forums.  If you want to have a discussion with developers, you'll need to subscribe to the development mailing list https://inkscape.org/en/community/mailing-lists/.

There is a development IRC channel and RocketChat channel, but your chances of the right developer being present when you post are slim.  So the mailing list is your best option.  But just in case, you can find them here:  https://inkscape.org/community/

If you don't want to have a discussion, but just make a feature request or report a bug, for version 0.92.4 and above, please go here:  https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inbox/issues.  First, please search to find out if the feature has already been requested, or the bug has already been reported.   If you don't find it, you can proceed to make the report by clicking the green "New Issue" button (top-right corner).

Please be specific!!  Developers need to understand exactly what you want, and also need to be convinced there's not already a way to accomplish what you want a new feature for.  Or if it's a bug, they need to know exactly how to reproduce the bug, as well as your Inkscape version and operating system.  SVG files, images, or videos, which illustrate the bug or new feature would also be helpful.

Also, don't assume that you can make the report and then sit back and wait for it.  Make a shortcut to your report, or at least keep an eye on your email, for notifications that someone has responded to your message.  You'll need to be prepared to answer questions about it, in case a developer finds it interesting.  Or you might be asked to provide specific files (such as preferences.xml or a custom template, for example).

If you happen to have any hacking skills, you might want to consider helping to create this new feature or fix the bug.  Here's where you can begin to learn about Inkscape development:  https://inkscape.org/en/develop/getting-started/

The Inkscape Project has developed some guidelines for funded development.  So it is possible to have bugs fixed or new features added by crowd funding methods.  Please find those guidelines here:  https://inkscape.org/en/support-us/funded-development/.

Above all, please remember that there really are only a handful of committed Inkscape developers, who have stuck with the project, year in and year out.  There are many more who contribute in the short term, perhaps fixing some bugs here and there, or writing extensions.  So as with most open source projects, development can seem to move at a snail's pace.  This is just a fact of life for most open source projects.

So if the new feature that you want is close to your heart, or the bug especially impacts your Inkscape work, the best thing you can do to see it happen, is to take a leadership role yourself.  Become involved in the development community and have discussions with developers.  Find out which developer might be assigned to it, or is in the best position to handle it.  Find out if there's anything you can do to help.  Or maybe take the lead for a funded development project, and seek out your own team of programmers. 

Otherwise, patience is the key!

Title: Re: New Features for Inkscape
Post by: Moini on May 26, 2017, 01:36:22 PM

Nice writeup :) Maybe a link that goes directly to the bug section (in the part where it says to search for existing reports) could make that easier for people?

Title: Re: New Features for Inkscape
Post by: brynn on May 26, 2017, 10:34:34 PM

Thanks Maren!  Made the change  :)

Title: Re: New Features for Inkscape
Post by: Moini on May 27, 2017, 02:57:12 AM

Off-Topic: show

Thought you might enjoy this: http://www.schveiguy.com/blog/2017/05/how-to-report-a-bug-to-microsoft/ (http://www.schveiguy.com/blog/2017/05/how-to-report-a-bug-to-microsoft/), Brynn.
(it's so unbelievably easy to report a bug, or to make a feature request for Inkscape in comparison...)

Title: Re: New Features for Inkscape
Post by: brynn on May 27, 2017, 05:00:23 AM

Off-Topic: show

Oh, I never told you about my odyssey with Windows 10 and Dell tech support.  It was equally as absurd.  It was so awful, I couldn't bear to revisit it by sharing the experience. The bottom line is that I think I might try Lenovo for my next laptop.