Journey as a Google Summer of Code 2019 Student with SPDX
My journey as a student developer at Google Summer of Code 2019 with Software Package Data Exchange (SPDX), TLF.
A Summer That Changed Everything
In the summer of 2019, I was selected as one of 1,000 students worldwide for the 15th edition of Google Summer of Code (GSoC)—a global program designed to introduce students to real-world open-source software development.
As part of GSoC, I spent three months working with Software Package Data Exchange (SPDX), under the Linux Foundation Open Compliance Program. What followed was the most intense and transformative learning experience of my software journey so far.
Understanding SPDX
SPDX is a set of open standards used to describe:
- Software components
- Licenses
- Copyright metadata
SPDX documents are distributed in two primary formats:
- Tag/Value
- RDF
While tooling in Java and Python already supported both formats, tools-golang lacked support for the RDF specification—despite RDF being officially defined in the SPDX standard.
The Problem I Worked On
The core objective of my GSoC project was simple in theory, but complex in execution:
Add full RDF read/write support to tools-golang.
This involved:
- Understanding the SPDX specification in depth
- Designing a parser architecture aligned with existing tooling
- Implementing a Golang module capable of parsing and generating SPDX RDF documents
By the end of the program, tools-golang could reliably handle SPDX documents in RDF format—bringing feature parity with other language ecosystems.
6th May, 2019
I still remember my first day in college—uncertain, directionless, and unaware of what I wanted to become.
When I started programming, it wasn’t with ambition. It was curiosity. I simply wanted to be less bad at something I enjoyed.
This journey—from missed lectures and sleepless nights to broken builds and self-doubt—finally made sense during GSoC. I was fortunate to have mentors and seniors who believed in me long before I believed in myself.
Writing this today still feels emotional. But if there’s one thing this experience taught me, it’s that consistency compounds.
Hopefully, I managed to make you proud this time.
Yours, till the end of time,
Abhishek Gaur
Google Summer of Code 2019
What I Took Away
During GSoC, I:
- Worked extensively with 300+ open-source software licenses (MIT, Apache-2.0, GPL-3.0, etc.)
- Built production-grade Golang tooling
- Learned how large open-source communities operate
- Developed a deep appreciation for code quality, reviews, and documentation
🔗 Project Archive:
https://summerofcode.withgoogle.com/archive/2019/projects/5162336644497408/
Google Summer of Code 2019 wasn’t just a program—it was a turning point. It reshaped how I approach software engineering and open source, and it continues to influence how I build even today.