PHP TestFest Organizer Tips
Suggestions and checklist
Advance planning
Contact your nearest user group to see if they are, or know of anybody already planning on running a TestFest in your area
Find a suitable location and choose a date within the TestFest range
Make sure that the location you choose has network connection (wireless/ethernet)
Check that a mentor will be able to assist with your event
Publish details of your event somewhere (Usergroup wiki, homepage, blog, etc.)
Limit the numbers if you don't have a reasonable ratio of mentors to attendees (suggested max 1:4)
Anounce your event:
Local usergroup news feed
Calendar entry on php.net/cal
Announcement to php-qa@lists.php.net
Any other blogs or relevant places you can think of
After a short while, check that your event has been approved on
http://php.net/cal
and is listed on
http://wiki.php.net/qa/testfest
In the run-up to the event
Svn access for the group is mailed to the organisers listed on
http://wiki.php.net/qa/testfest
Get a list of names of attendees (and email addresses) in advance
Grant access to SVN in advance (testfest.php.net/testtfest.php)
Mail attendees the day before to remind them to bring laptops (and possibly power supply and ethernet cable)
Ask attendees (with any other
OS
than Windows) to try and download and compile PHP in advance (to check that they have a build env't)
Pick an area (extension) to test in advance and let the attendees know so that they can do some preparation.
Mail the QA list to say what extension you are looking at so that you can co-ordinate with other groups if they want to work in the same area
Work out in advance which test cases are missing and have a list of then ready for people to work on
If you pick something that has pre-reqs (eg database, libraries) prepare some samples and make sure that people know to install the pre-reqs.
On the day
Either at the event or in advance have someone give a short talk on the extension and show example of how to use it
Be prepared for network failure - have copies of PHP source, Windows builds and docs on a stick.
Find a local source of beer for *after* the event