GoKawiilClickHouse was released in open source on Jun 15 2016, ten years ago. Since then, it became the most popular open source analytical database with more than 2000 contributors.
Building in the open #
There are different levels of open-source.
Level 0: The minimum level is making the code open to the public for reading, but nothing more. This is the case of archival and museum releases, such as Doom or MS-DOS.
Level 1: The next level is when the software is updated by commits in a public repository, but not necessarily accepting contributors. This is also an example of open source. SQLite and Ladybird are examples.
Level 2: Accepting contributions but without a transparent and open development process. Most active open-source projects are on this level.
Level 3: Open contribution guidelines, task tracker, code review system, development roadmap, testing and CI system, release cycle, user support, and documentation.
I always aim for the maximum. ClickHouse should be the best example of:
How to build a great database - if you want to build a new database, ClickHouse source code and development practices will serve as the best example. I always write the code so everyone can learn from it - by keeping it modular, orthogonal, and well-documented. When the code requires a complex concept, I explain it in the comments from scratch, so the readers don't have to refer to textbooks, Wikipedia, or AI.
A place to learn C++ development. Many people are looking for repositories representing the frontier of software engineering, and today ClickHouse is one of the most popular open source repositories in C++, where everyone can learn both the exciting stuff (C++23) and boring stuff (build systems, continuous integration and testing, code review practices, and AI).
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