# Brief introduction and background

**URL:** <https://precice.discourse.group/t/brief-introduction-and-background/2865>\
**Category:** Google Summer of Code\
**Tags:** gsoc-error-messages, gsoc-period-appl\
**Created:** [March 19, 2026, 4:59pm UTC](https://precice.discourse.group/t/brief-introduction-and-background/2865 "2026-03-19T16:59:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![san-rizz-777](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/precice.discourse.group/san-rizz-777/32/3377_2.png) [@san-rizz-777](https://precice.discourse.group/u/san-rizz-777)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 4:59pm UTC](https://precice.discourse.group/t/brief-introduction-and-background/2865/1 "2026-03-19T16:59:47Z")

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**Hello preCICE community!**

My name is Sanskar (GitHub: [@san-rizz-777](https://github.com/san-rizz-777)), and I’m excited to introduce myself as a prospective GSoC 2026 contributor. This is a fantastic opportunity and I’d love to be part of the preCICE ecosystem.

**What motivates me to spend this summer on GSoC?**

I want to spend this summer contributing to something that has real-world scientific impact rather than purely personal projects. GSoC with preCICE is a chance to work on production-grade open source C++ infrastructure used by researchers worldwide — that’s the kind of challenge that genuinely excites me.

**Technical Background**

My primary language is **C++** , and I’ve used it extensively across systems and library-level work. Some highlights from my experience:

- **C++ String Searching Library** — I built and worked on a string searching library in C++, which gave me deep exposure to algorithm design, template metaprogramming, and performance-sensitive code. This directly informs my interest in preCICE’s internals.

- **Custom Memory Allocator in C** — Implemented a thread-safe allocator using `sbrk()` and linked lists, overriding `malloc` via `LD_PRELOAD`. This taught me low-level memory management and systems thinking.

- **Java HTTP Server** — A multithreaded HTTP server supporting directory listing and static file serving, built from scratch without frameworks — sharpened my understanding of concurrency and networking.

- **[Poozle](https://github.com/Programming-Club-Org/poozle)** — A collaborative C++ project through my Programming Club, involving teamwork, code review, and coordinated development.

- **ML Classification on MAGIC Gamma Telescope data** — Applied machine learning on Monte Carlo-simulated datasets, showing I’m comfortable across different domains and toolchains.

I also have experience with **TypeScript** (a full-stack gambling/game mechanics simulation site), **Vue.js** , and **Python/Jupyter** for data science workflows.

**Git & GitHub Experience**

I have active, hands-on GitHub experience — I completed **Hacktoberfest 2025** and earned the **Pull Shark** achievement (×2) on GitHub, meaning I’ve had multiple pull requests merged in open source projects, including a fork contribution to [activist-org/activist](https://github.com/activist-org/activist/issues/1549#issuecomment-3941981320). I’m comfortable with branching strategies, pull requests, rebasing, and collaborative code review workflows.

**Other Commitments**

I have university but I can manage it with GSoC —. I’m committed to dedicating the time GSoC requires.(approx. 21 hrs/week).

**Why “Error messages with configuration context“?**

Configuration errors in scientific tools are painful — you get a cryptic message with no idea where in the XML things went wrong. This project fixes exactly that by attaching line/column context to error messages, compiler-style.

My experience building a **C++ string searching library** means I’ve already dealt with text parsing, positional tracking, and buffer navigation — skills that map directly to what this project needs. It’s a focused, high-impact change to the codebase that meaningfully improves the experience for every preCICE user, and that’s what draws me to it.

# Entry test

- Completed the entry test by running the “elastic-1d-tube“ and giving it bit more context by showcasing the line and column number.
- ![entry_test_precice](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/precice/original/2X/9/90b2a8ad1c05d0d7f029656fbf6192f26dba9cf8.png)

— Sanskar | [@san-rizz-777](https://github.com/san-rizz-777)