Interest in the Clean Multi-Step Configuration Project and preCICE Contribution

Jobs & theses market GSoC
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Hi @Makis,

Thank you for the guidance.

Why I’m Interested in preCICE

What attracts me to preCICE is its modular philosophy — enabling complex multi-physics simulations by connecting independent solvers cleanly. I really appreciate the idea of building small, robust abstractions that coordinate large-scale systems reliably.

The “Clean multi-step configuration” project especially interests me because it focuses on improving architecture and separation of concerns rather than just adding features.

Why This Project Fits Me

C++ is my primary language, and I’m comfortable with:

  • Modern C++ (STL, RAII, structured types)

  • Refactoring and improving existing codebases

  • Linux, Docker, and CI workflows

  • Debugging and tracing large systems

The configuration AST idea is appealing because it:

  • Separates XML parsing from configuration logic

  • Improves validation and error reporting

  • Makes the system more maintainable and extensible

I enjoy working on architectural improvements like this.

Entry Test

I built preCICE from source and ran the elastic tube 1D tutorial.

To explore the configuration flow, I:

  • Modified the XML file (e.g., removed a <data> tag) to trigger errors

  • Traced how parsing and configuration construction are currently coupled

  • Located where error messages are generated

This helped me understand the current structure and how introducing a configuration AST could improve clarity and error handling.

I would be happy to continue exploring this area and start contributing with small refactoring or validation-related tasks. I’m also open to suggestions on the best next steps.

Looking forward to contributing.

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