Wow, what an experience! My Outreachy internship at Mozilla has been an exciting and transformative journey. Over the past few months, I had the opportunity to work on PerfCompare, a tool engineers use to detect regressions. From tackling complex challenges to learning new skills, this experience has boosted my confidence in contributing to open source and collaborating on impactful projects. I’m excited to share my journey, the lessons I’ve learned, and what’s next for me!

My Project: Enhancing Full-Text Search with Search Vectors

During my internship, I worked on improving the search functionality in PerfCompare. The goal was to enhance full-text search capabilities by using search vectors and indexing with GIN indexes for better query performance.

Approach Considered: Initially, we explored different indexing techniques, trying to balance search accuracy and performance.
Final Implementation: We decided to use GIN indexes with search vectors to optimize queries. This approach significantly improved search speed and accuracy.
PR Merged: The main PR for this work was merged: #8430.
Fix for Migration Issue: During deployment, we encountered a migration limit issue with the comment field. A fix was pushed and merged: #8533.
We noticed the implemented approach had some performance issues so we decided to revert to our initial approach and the PR is in review: #8544
Frontend Integration: The frontend PR for integrating these changes is still in review, and I hope to continue working on patches even after my internship. #865

For a deeper look into my project and our approach, check out my blog post, "Optimizing Full-Text Search in Django: My Outreachy Internship Journey at Firefox."

Challenges Faced

- Understanding the Codebase: Navigating both the frontend and backend codebases was initially overwhelming. It took time to understand how different components interacted and where changes needed to be made.
  - Knowing What Questions to Ask: At first, I struggled with formulating the right questions. Over time, I learned to break down problems and ask more precise and targeted questions.
  - Setting Up the Backend: Getting the backend to run locally was challenging due to dependencies and configurations. Debugging these issues helped me understand the setup process better.
  - Running and Debugging Tests: Some tests failed due to minor issues I initially overlooked. Learning to debug, modify, and write tests effectively was a key part of the process. To make this easier for others, I created documentation on setting up Treeherder and PerfCompare locally, covering installation, configuration, and running tests.
  - Understanding Search Vectors: It took time to grasp how PostgreSQL search vectors work and how to implement them effectively for optimized search results.
  - Migration Issues: The deployment migration limit issue required quick debugging and a workaround to push a fix.
  - Performance Optimization: Ensuring queries were optimized while maintaining search accuracy was a key challenge.

Lessons Learned

Working with Search Vectors: I learned how to implement full-text search using search vectors in PostgreSQL to optimize queries.
Handling Code Reviews: I gained experience iterating on feedback, addressing comments, and improving my code quality.
Collaborating Across Teams: Working with both frontend and backend teams helped me understand cross-functional development and effective teamwork.
Debugging and Troubleshooting: I developed a structured approach to tackling bugs, debugging issues, and optimizing performance.
Communication Skills: Engaging with mentors and teammates during Perf team meetings and one-on-one chats improved my ability to articulate problems and solutions.
Documenting My Work: I’ve learned to document my processes more effectively, making it easier to track progress and share knowledge. Through this, I’ve also improved my writing skills. My Outreachy blog series, where I share my journey and insights, can be read here.

Highlights of My Internship

One of the best parts of my internship was participating in PerfCompare team meetings. A highlight of these meetings was the "question of the day" segment, where a teammate would ask a question, and we’d all answer. This helped us bond and get to know each other beyond work.

My contributions to PerfCompare were also mentioned in Mozilla Discourse posts announcing deployments. Seeing my work highlighted in these updates made me feel even more connected to the Mozilla ecosystem:

Gratitude

I want to sincerely thank my mentors Carla and Julien for their guidance, one-on-one meetups, and continuous support. Their patience and encouragement made a huge difference in my learning journey. I also appreciate the Outreachy organizers for creating this opportunity and supporting interns worldwide.

What’s Next for Me

I’m currently looking for frontend developer roles. My experience during this internship has shown that I am quick to learn new skills and adapt to complex projects. I am eager to contribute to meaningful projects and grow further as a developer.

Participating in Outreachy and contributing to open source has given me a new level of confidence. I now feel more comfortable diving into new codebases, asking questions, and pushing my contributions forward. This experience has reinforced my belief that I belong in tech, and I’m excited to continue building and learning!

Want to Contribute to Mozilla?

For anyone interested in contributing to Mozilla, here’s a link to get started: Mozilla Contribution Guide.

Perfcompare and treeherder setup guide: https://netacci.hashnode.dev/setting-up-perfcompare-and-treeherder

Conclusion

This internship has been a great experience. I’ve learned so much, faced challenges, and grown as a developer. While this marks the end of my Outreachy journey, I look forward to staying involved in open source and continuing my contributions to Mozilla.

It's not goodbye, it's just a pull request for the next chapter 😁.

Thank you, Outreachy and Mozilla, for this incredible opportunity!

Wrapping Up My Outreachy Internship at Mozilla