The ExtSQL development program provides a system which allows for the Open Source community to contribute to ExtSQL and be monetarily rewarded for their work. The program consists of three main elements:

• Developers: Developers are approved contributors to ExtSQL. You must be approved as a developer in order to propose development projects or bid on approved work items. Learn more about applying for the developer program.
  
  
• Work Items: Work can be proposed by anyone in the development community. Our Work List is publicly available, so everyone can see ExtSQL projects currently under development.
  
  
• Bidding: Once a work item is approved, it becomes open for bidding. All work is paid at the rate of $40/hour. When bidding on a work item, you are bidding a number of hours in which you believe you will be able to complete the work.

A work proposal goes through a life cycle from its initial concept to its incorporation in an ExtSQL release. The following outlines the various states that a work item goes through.

• Proposed: A work item is first proposed by an ExtSQL staff member or developer. It is them reviewed and may be modified by staff.
  
  
• Bidding: Once a proposal has been approved, it enters the bidding phase. At this point, an announcement will be posted to the developer list-serv. The proposal is now also publicly visible.
  
  
• In Progress: Once a bidder has been chosen, the work enters this stage. If you are chosen to undertake a project, the project will move into our ticketing system which will allow for communication between yourself and our staff. The tickets also provide a file upload interface which is how you will submit your work.
  
  
• Submitted: Once a bidder has finished the work, it will go under review by ExtSQL staff. The work will then go into a testing phase.
  
  
• Tested: All ExtSQL products undergo a rigorous testing procedure. All work submitted by developers will have to pass our testing standards. This state is entered once the submitted work has been certified by our testing process. At this point, the developer will be paid for his/her efforts and the change will await assignment to a planned release.
  
  
• Pending Release: This means that a work has been assigned to a release version.
  
  
• Released: In this last stage, a version of ExtSQL containing the developer's work has been released to the public for download.
  
  
• Cancelled: A proposal may be cancelled for any reason. The most likely situation is that the work would be deprecated by another proposed change.
  
  
• On Hold: Likewise, ExtSQL staff may at anytime decide to suspend development of a work proposal. This category is for work items that we would like to see implemented but have decided to set aside temporarily.

Approved developers may bid on any work proposal in a bidding status. You may only bid on any given project once, but you may update your bid at any time while the project is still in a bidding status.

You may also withdraw a bid while the item is in bidding or after a bid is accepted. There is no penalty for withdrawing during the bidding process, but if you choose to withdraw a bid after you have been chosen to perform development work, that action will be taken into consideration when choosing developers for future work. We highly recommend that you only place a bid if you honestly believe that you will be able to complete the work in the timeline that you specify.

Payment will be initiated once the work has been submitted, tested and approved. It is important to note that you will be paid for the number of hours bid, not the actual completion time. Therefore, it is in your interest to bid your time honestly, so that you will be paid fairly for your work. Furthermore, hours bid is taken into consideration when selecting a developer for a project, but it is also weighed against a developer's qualifications and any past experience on ExtSQL projects.

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NOTE: MySQL® is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems. 
ExtSQL® is registered trademark of Software Workshop Inc.
ExtSQL is a separate product and should not be confused with MySQL
or PostgreSQL. It contains independently developed additional features,
released under the GPL,v.2.

©Copyright 1996-2009 Software Workshop Inc. 
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