Top 10 Real-time Open Source Project Topics You Have to Try

Software development and coding have emerged as two of the most coveted career options in the 21st century. Budding developers increasingly rely on online resources to build a strong foundation in programming. 

Developers need hands-on experience with real-time and scalable projects to fortify their coding base and sharpen their programming skills. For this purpose, many open-source projects are available on different online platforms. These projects can be carried out solo by developers and coders to test their calibre or collaborate on practical projects with fellow developers worldwide. 

In this article, we’ve listed the top 10 open source projects for beginners to gather hands-on experience and build their expertise. 

How to choose open source projects?

Although open-source projects are available on hundreds of tech websites on the internet, there is a difference in difficulty levels, types, and collaborative opportunities. 

GitHub, GitLab, and bitbucket are among the top open-source project management platforms. These platforms are hotbeds for programmers looking for open source repositories. 

Depending on the complexities and real-time experience of the programmer, available projects can be defined as beginner level and expert level. One can filter their required level by using the available tags. For example, beginners can sort projects on GitHub by searching for projects marked with “beginner” or “good first issue” tags.

1. Yarn

Language: JavaScript and TypeScript 

Stars: 4.3k 

Yarn is a package manager who also acts as a project manager. Features like package reinstallation without any internet connection. Yarn acts as a dependency management tool. It includes a feature of flat mode that helps to avoid duplicate dependencies. The typescript library abstracts the node filesystem APIs. It can be installed on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.

For more details on this project, visit here.

2. Kubernetes

Language: Go

Stars: 63k

For software development teams with a knack for container development, Kubernetes is the go-to application. It can be described as an open-source project specifically designed to automate management deployment and scaling of containerized applications. It simplifies the working of technical teams by replacing manual application processes and service deployment with automated technologies. It is popular among users because it allows multiple hosts. Software developers can scale applications or resources in real-time. The Kubernetes CLI reduces complexities and makes it easy for users to manage Kubernetes clusters. It is a decorated list of users like Spotify, China Unicom, AppDirect, etc. 

Number of Contributors: 2400+

Find out more about Kubernetes here.

3. Geany

Language: C++ and C

Stars: 2.1k

Geany is a stable, lightweight, and powerful text editor for programmers that provides hundreds of useful features without hampering the workflow. It can be translated into 40 languages. More than 50 programming languages are supported on Geany. Programmers can use it on different operating systems like Windows, macOS, or Linux. It is in high demand among similar editors as it has a very lightweight program and enables cross-platform data migration. Moreover, it supports all major file types like PHP, JavaScript, Java, Python, HTML, etc. 

Number of Contributors: 149

Find out more about Geany here.

4. Bootstrap

Language: JavaScript and TypeScript 

Bootstrap is used for frontend development. It is a front-end component library for beginners who want to try their hands at HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Launched in 2011, Bootstrap is one of the most frequently searched projects on GitHub. The addition and removal of plugins are very easy and can be done by ticking the checkboxes. The markup API allows the usage of bootstrap plugins without writing a JavaScript code. The jQuery user interface is written in JavaScript. It focuses on developing responsive web pages. There are several templates by which developers can easily set up attractive web pages. Bootstrap has incorporated the 12 columns responsive grid that uses responsive CSS for working with mobile browsers. 

Further details about Bootstrap are available here. 

5. Atom

Stars: 57k

Atom is also a hackable text editor. It has a predefined set of plugins created by other users to make it easier to develop products without coding. It is an open project so that programmers can modify and customize it according to their specific needs. It works with the Electron framework for cross-platform data migration. Atom provides features like multiple panes for comparing and editing codes efficiently. With updated security policies, Atom has become the go-to editor for professional coding. 

For more details on this project, visit here.

6. Ember.js

Language: JavaScript

Ember.js is a JavaScript framework that is used to build modern web applications. Developers can create rich, well-defined user interfaces which are compatible to work with any device. Over the years, Ember has integrated with companies like Microsoft, LinkedIn, Netflix, Apple, etc. One of its most attractive features is the auto-updating and sync changed data across hosting systems. Ember.js can bind properties to each other, data binding being one of its most celebrated features. Ember has apps that come along with a built-in development environment, paired with the test runner. It also has a built-in router that incorporates async data and supports nested URLs. Newer updates with bug fixes reduce background time delay and increase the efficiency of the entire framework. 

Further details in Ember.js can be found here.

7. Renovate

Language: JavaScript and TypeScript 

Stars: 2.6k

Renovate is an essential tool used for code maintenance that helps in automating software projects’ dependency updates. It provides various functions, like scanning public and private repositories, managing vulnerability databases, real-time dependency updates, and many more. Renovate was overtaken by WhiteSource in 2019. It helps in open-source project management. Renovate’s popularity is gradually growing as an approachable open-source project because it supports multiple languages and file types. Regression errors are minimized with every update, thus enabling a verified working platform with fewer or no bugs. Companies like Deloitte and Vonage use Renovate for simplifying their day-to-day work. 

Number of Contributors: 190

For more details on Renovate, visit its official website. 

8. Django

Language: Python

Stars: 47k

Django is a high-level framework for Python development. It facilitates rapid development and reduces the wastage of time on trivial issues. Django completely abolishes the hassle of web development for programmers. It helps developers reach from concept to completion faster by negative errors like clickjacking, SQL injection, cross-site scripting, etc. Django has great scopes of flourishing, as Python’s popularity increases day by day. Many successful software companies like Instagram, Pinterest, Mozilla Firefox, and National Geographic have already adopted Django as a secure and versatile open-source community. 

Number of Contributors: 1800+

Further details about Django are available here.

9. Grunt

Language: JavaScript

Stars: 12.1k

Grunt is used for automating repetitive tasks like unit testing, compilation, or minification, thereby reducing human effort. It is based on an open-source platform, anyone can easily publish their Grunt plugin if it has not been created already. Grunt makes it extremely easy to develop modern build processes, including designs. It has an accessible configuration format and an extensive plugin ecosystem. The project has a vision of creating a collection of quality resources for JavaScript beginners and advanced and experienced developers.

Number of Contributors: 200+

For more details on Grunt.js, visit here.

10. Tensorflow

Language: Python and C++

Stars: 141k

Created in 2015 by Google, Tensorflow is an open-source library for machine learning and numerical computation. It helps users create simple machine learning models for mobiles, PCs, and the cloud. Companies like Coca-Cola, Airbnb, Intel, Google, Twitter, etc., use TensorFlow because of its abstraction property. Programmers can dedicate their entire focus to the application’s logic, while the libraries in the background handle its implementation as algorithms. Developers can train and deploy their models quickly without worrying about the platform or the programming language. Models are available that use TensorFlow’s high-level APIs and are created according to the demands, tested, and updated to keep up with the latest build. 

Number of Contributors: 2300+

For more details on this project, visit here.

Conclusion

The introduction of open-source software systems for easy access of beginners has had an enormously positive effect on developers and programmers. With more than 30 million users on a single platform like GitHub, this is a massive community of developers.

Repositories like GitHub supplement beginners with hundreds of projects to test their problem-solving ability. In the corporate world today, most programmers are dependent upon open source projects to perform better at their workplace. 

Open-source software has created a self-sustaining ecosystem, where everybody learns from others, thus growing collectively as a community. With new additions every day, open-source projects dynamically test the skill set of coders and help them acquire knowledge progressively. 

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