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Get Stoked - End Poverty. One Line of Code at a Time.

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Info

We've been accepted as a mentoring organization announced the seven students we've selected as interns for the 2014 Google Summer of Code. Please browse our ideas list below and follow our guidelines and expectations for a great app. Interested students please introduce yourself via our mailing list and prepare your applications for submission which open on March 10 at 1900 UTC.. The coding period begins May 19.

 

2014 Google Summer of Code - Get to Know Mifos

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Mentor

Project

Location

Time Zone

User Profile
user557058:17a2a4bb-8dab-42c0-aaa2-0cac0c6d8ba6

India

IST (GMT +5:30)

User Profile
user557058:5f965da8-b9d1-4c96-86f2-0921e41dda17

 

Switzerland

CET (GMT +1:00)

User Profile
user557058:59a2f1c9-f496-449b-9ea9-9ab65b908d01

 

Ghana

GMT

User Profile
user557058:a229ed08-ab13-4620-b9a7-69d46f997c06

 

USA

PST(GMT -8:00)

User Profile
user557058:098bc1f7-5d5d-4c36-b6f2-60d574c0214a
 Sri LankaIST (GMT +5:30)
User Profile
user557058:2babbedd-40a6-49ca-a275-eeea25a56fd5
 IndiaIST (GMT +5:30)
User Profile
user557058:3fa93dbb-db85-48eb-860f-b5b8fffc7940
 NetherlandsCET (GMT+1:00)
User Profile
user557058:e88a165f-a874-4cda-aa58-9b0df7812469
 USAPST(GMT -8:00)
User Profile
user557058:8f775b0b-ac27-40cc-836a-ac3cdc4eddaa
 GermanyCET (GMT+1:00)

Project Ideas

All 2014 projects will be on the new Mifos X platform, this the brand new version of the Mifos software that we launched in 2012. Mifos X is a true platform in which the back-end is cleanly separated from the front-end and all core platform services are exposed through an API making it easy develop new applications on top of the Mifos X platform. 

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Mentors Nayan Ambali
Overview & ObjectivesData Import Tool was a 2013 GSoC project; it is standalone web-app and used for importing bulk data like clients, groups, loan and saving accounts and transactions into the system. Code from this projected can be migrated to Mifos X platform to provide seamless integration.
Description

At present data import tool is standalone and one has to deploy it and connect it to Mifos X platform to use it for importing data. It will make the tool more readily available for all users to migrate the code from this project to Mifos X platform and give seamless integration.

Advantages of merging the code with platform:

1) Bulk upload API will always be in sync with platform APIs.

2) Easy of build UI for bulk upload inside Community-App.

3) Import will be much faster as we are eliminating one tier.

Apart from integration, we'll also be adding in additional import functionalities beyond clients, loans, and savings accounts:

4) And we will be adding other essential import options such as CoA, Code/Code Values, Offices and Data tables. 

Helpful SkillsJava (Spring/JPA/Jersey), SQL , JavaScript , Git
Impact

It has many impacts

  1. This drastically reduces the time to set up of initial configuration/data of Mifos X for organization adopting this system as MIS.
  2. For data entry operator, this feature can be used as bulk creation option (such as import bulk loans, import clients)
  3. These templates can be used as offline store. And once user has internet connectivity can upload these templates with captured data.
Other Resources 

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Workflows Engine 

MentorsBinny Gopinath Sreevas (Unlicensed)
Overview & ObjectivesWorkflows can be used for adding additional data/surveys for capturing data or adding checklist to a pre-defined workflows at certain points of the workflow (scope does not include adding custom workflows).
Description

In most of the cases MFI wants to capture additional data during certain workflows (example: during client closing, wants to conduct exit survey, capture PPI during loan creation) and this requirement can fulfilled by adding option to attach datatable/survey/question group to the pre-defined workflows as certain points (example: during loan creation, during approval time or during disbursement etc).

And same can be achieved by integrating workflow engine.  

Helpful Skills Java, SQL , JavaScript , Git
Impact

Helps organization to streamline their data capture process in the MIS and as well as in the field. And this leads toward more measurability of the MFI's impact in the field and more transparency.

Other Resources 

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MentorsSander van der Heyden 
Overview & Objectives

Microfinance institutions usually work with various external parties, such as funders or investors. Using the data that is available in MifosX we would like to offer those stakeholders a seperate portal showing accurate and high-level information about the institution that would otherwise be reported manually by the institution. This information helps them in their decision making processes, but also enables them to assess the broader impact they are having with their funding.

Description

To develop a portal that aggregates information from different Mifos X deployments and report on predefined social and operational metrics

Objectives:

  • Implement back-end logic in MifosX required to make information available to the client impact portal
  • Implement UI and back-end logic of the Client impact portal
Helpful Skills SQL, Java, Javascript, Git, Web Services
ImpactFunders and investors are vital for almost all MFI's, providing them with accurate information on the impact they are making with each of their MFI's is something they highly value and that enables them to assess whether they want to further support the MFI's moving forward to enable growth of the MFI.
Other Resources

Data Analytics & Client Insight - Are we making an impact? (Client Impact Portal demo)

Client Impact Portal POC - (mifos/password are login credentials)

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MentorsJames Dailey
Overview & Objectives

Pay-as-you-go mobile phones have revolutionized access to telecom, the same can be done with solar energy access. Off-grid installations of PVC panels and batteries can be pared with a mobile payment mechanism to allow clients to purchase power "as they use it". This functionality will allow organizations to become involved with 3rd party providers of solar systems.

Description
  1. Create a pre-paid account mechanism as an account type or account option in Mifos (perhaps extending existing classes), zero fees.
  2. Create a new API for consuming pre-paid account balances.  
  3. Create a simple external model that mimics consumption by a household on a daily basis - imagined as a set of data received from solar panel (watts used, time of day, volts present).  
  4. Load up pre-paid account by account transfer in P2P interface (my phone to your account) or via trusted agent - i.e. trusted agent receives cash and loads account on Mifos.
Helpful Skills SQL, Java, Javascript, Git, Web Services
Impact

Providers of pay-as-you-go solar can use MIFOS for their operations. MFIs can become such providers.

Other ResourcesMobile project on MifosX

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MentorsNayan Ambali
Overview & Objectives

A business rule system enables these financial institutes policies and other operational decisions to be defined, tested, executed. Rule engines typically support rules, facts, priority (score), mutual exclusion, preconditions, and other functions.

This module will enable MFI admin to add, remove or modify the business rule against pre-defined work flows in the application.

Description

As financial institutes, the business process of the institute is governed by local regulatory, and internal rules and rules defined by other other stake holders. And MIS should have provision to define these rules in the application to achive the objectives of these rules defined by various stake holders.

Example: Insurance company does not provider insurance to any person above 65 age. In that case in the MIS if users tries to attach a insurance feed to a client's loan account whos age is more than 65 years then "business rule engine" should prevent that action with appropriate message.

Helpful SkillsSQL, Java, Javascript, Git
ImpactIt helps MFIs to follow the compliance set for regulatory and various stake holder. Also reduces the fraudulent cases
Other Resources Business Rules Engine

Automation of Conversion of AngularJS Community App into Chrome App 

Mentors Nayan Ambali
Overview & Objectives

At present MIfos X platform is shipped with Community-App (SPA) as default UI, but initial load time of the application high. And for users on narrow bandwidth internet it takes a considerable amount of time to load the app.

Instead of loading the app every time, we can convert the Community-App into a Chrome App and user can download them once and install it ion the machine, and it can used as thick client.

Description

Community-App is completely developed on top of JavaScript, CSS and HTML. And Chrome apps are also written in same stack. Using grunt we should be able to repackage Community-App(SPA) into Community-App(Chrome App)

Helpful SkillsJavascript, AngularJS, Grunt
Impact

Users with slow internet connectivity can use this app (Installed on the machine) instead of loading Community-App (SPA) on the browser. Users will also have a continually updated app. This will also allow MFIs to potentially use Chromebooks as field-based devices for their branches.

Other Resources  http://developer.chrome.com/apps/angular_framework.html

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MentorsBinny Gopinath Sreevas (Unlicensed)
Overview & Objectives

Right now Mifos X contains core client management functionalities including tracking basic demographic information, know your customer information, document management, and survey collection through data tables. As financial institutions serving the poor begin to offer a more in-depth and diverse range of financial inclusion products, the need for more robust client management and in-depth client understanding has grows. Their core system needs to provide more and more CRM-type functionality that complement the portfolio management and financial/social reporting the Mifos X provides.

This project will work to deliver the initial set of customer relationship management functionalities including a module for tracking inquiries, complaints

Description

This module will have a request management functionality. A request can be of 2 types: Complaints and Service Requests. Each request must be against a customer and optionally against an account of the customer. Each request will go through a simple workflow.

Actions that can be performed on a request:

Assign -> will change status to "assigned"

Start Work --> will change status to "in progress"

Close --> will change status to "closed" (with a sub-reason code)

At each step user can enter comments.

The customer summary screen will have a link to view the requests of the customer - along with a summary and current status - with option to click-through to get the complete history of each request.

Helpful Skills 
Impact

Deepening the client relationship and ensuring fair, responsible, and transparent financial services to the poor is a core piece of the industry's roadmap for financial inclusion. Providing customers the ability to voice their concerns and feedback about the services they're receiving provides a simple yet powerful tool to protect the client. Empowering the financial institution with the ability to track these inquiries and overall maintain a more holistic relationship tracking entire lifecycle of their clients gives them a much better ability to understand their clients and respond to their needs with appropriately designed services and products.

Other Resources 

Security Penetration testing

MentorsKojoG
Overview & Objectives

We believe the Mifos X platform is super secure and impenetrable. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to prove us wrong, and help close gaps you may find.

Description

Beyond a one time exercise, you should integrate (some of) the tools you've used into our build chain so that, even after you've gone, tools flag up future newly introduced potential vulnerabilities.

Helpful SkillsCandidates applying for this project would ideally have prior experience in penetration testing, and document this in their application.
ImpactRe-assuring the more Entreprise-y type Mifos clients that they can safely bet on Mifos X as an MFI platform.
Other Resources

https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Main_Page

https://code.google.com/p/zaproxy/

http://wapiti.sourceforge.net

Run FindBugs & related tools for some serious static code analysis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penetration_test

Scalability testing, reports, infrastructure for ongoing test, documentation

MentorsVishwas Babu A J
Overview & Objectives

During last year's GSoC 2013, star student (and GSoC 2014 mentor) Anuruddha has greatly contributed to the scalability of the Mifos X by adding server-side pagination and distributed caching to the platform. This project's goal is to measure just how well we really scale - with concrete scenarios and hard numbers, and produce documentation about this helping organization who are evaluating Mifos.

Beyond a one time exercise, you should set up infrastructure we can keep using, and integrate the tools you've used into our build chain so that, even after you've gone, help us to keep up good perf.

Description

 

Helpful Skills 
ImpactRe-assuring the more Entreprise-y type Mifos clients that they can safely bet on Mifos X as an MFI platform.
Other Resources

http://twitter.github.io/iago/

http://www.loadui.org (by the good people behind SOAPui)

Selenium WebDriver

https://jmeter.apache.org/

http://grinder.sourceforge.net/

http://opensta.org/

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MentorsVishwas Babu A J
Overview & Objectives

MIfos X platform is shipped with a Community-App (SPA) as the default UI which is optimized for Web Browser display on large screens (Mobile, Laptops and Tablets). We need to extend the same to support mobile views (with minor changes to workflow) and provide offline functionality

Description

Community-App is completely developed on top of JavaScript, CSS and HTML. Also since there is a clear separation between the view and the Controllers in Angular JS, we should be able to spin up mobile views fairly easily reusing the same Controllers and Services. As it is quite common for Mobile users to have intermittent data connection, we should also support offline functionality,

Helpful SkillsJavascript, AngularJS, Apache cordova
Impact

Field officers can access MifosX from a Mobile optimized view, capture data offline that can be synced back to the server when an internet connection is available.

It also becomes easier for the community volunteers to maintain the mobile view ( as we reuse most of the code from the Community app) as opposed to maintaining a separate Android app.

Other Resources


Web-based Ad Hoc Query and Reporting Tool

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Actionable notifications/alerts/status updates in Mifos X

MentorsNayan Ambali 
Overview & Objectives

For better usability system needs to have notifications to the logged in user about actions he/she needs to perform in the application.

 

Description

Build real time notification system in application to notify to users about pending/new actions she/he needs to take. Example if branch manager login to the application and 3 new loans are created and pending for approval then system should notify him/her about the pending actions.

This involves both invoking and triggering these notifications based on these actions or activities as well as the extension of the user interface to support the display of the notifications as well as the ability of the user to take action upon the notifications.

Helpful Skills

of the user to take action upon the notifications.

Helpful SkillsJavascript, CSS, HTML5. AngularJS and Bootstrap (CSS framework) is plus
ImpactBetter usability. improve the productivity of users and actions will be taken on time.
Other ResourcesUsability and Design

Batching Requests in Mifos X

MentorsAnuruddha Premalal and Markus Geiss (Deactivated)
Overview & Objectives
Note

This feature should not be confused with Spring Batch.

Adding the ability to batch requests similar to the one at https://developers.facebook.com/docs/graph-api/making-multiple-requests/ would greatly improve the performance and ease of consumption of MifosX Api's in apps that require bulk processing, syncing of offline data etc

Some of the simplest use cases would involve

a) Disbursing Multiple JLG loans in a center on a given meeting day

b) A flexible collection sheet, where we could query for all loans that have a scheduled repayment on a particular day, update the actual repayments and post the data back to the platform

c) Batch operations like approving multiple checker requests at a time

Description
Abstract

Batching allows you to pass instructions for several operations in a single HTTP request.

The Batch API takes in an array of logical HTTP requests represented as JSON arrays - each request has a requestId (the id of a request used to specify the sequence and as a dependency between requests), a method (corresponding to HTTP method GET/PUT/POST/DELETE etc.), a relativeUrl (the portion of the URL after https://DomainName/api/v1), optional headers array (corresponding to HTTP headers) and an optional body (for POST and PUT requests).

The Batch API returns an array of logical HTTP responses represented as JSON arrays - each response has a requestId, a status code, an optional headers array and an optional body (which is a JSON encoded string).

First Step & POC

The workflow of an agent acting in the field will be used as a POC.

For the first step we should focus on the following use stories:

  • As an agent I want to create a new client for an existing office.

  • As an agent I want to update client specific information for an existing office.

  • As an agent I want to apply a loan to an existing client.

  • As an agent I want to apply a savings to an existing client.

  • As an agent I want to collect client charges for a loan.

It should be feasible to implement all this by using existing commands. This solution will include dependency resolution, e.g. adding a new client and apply a new loan.

Definition

POST https://DomainName/api/v1

Code Block
languagejs
titleRequest Body
collapsetrue
[
  {
    "requestId" : 1,
    "method" : "POST",
    "relativeUrl" : "clients",
    "body" : "{ \"officeId\": 1, \"firstname\": \"John\", \"lastname\": \"Smith\", ... }"
  },
  { "requestId" : 2,
    "method" : "POST",
    "relativeUrl" : "loans",
    "body" : "{ \"clientId\" : \"$.clientId\", \"productId\" : 1, ...}"
  },
  {
    "requestId" : 3,
    "method" : "POST",
    "relativeUrl" : "clients",
    "body" : "{ \"officeId\": 1, \"fullname\": \"Pocahontas\", ... }"
  },
  {
    "requestId" : 4,
    "method" : "POST",
    "relativeUrl" : "savingsaccount",
    "body" : "{ \"clientId\" : \"$.clientId\", \"productId\" : 1, ...}"
  }
]
Code Block
languagejs
titleResponse Body
collapsetrue
[
  {
    "requestId" : 1,
    "statusCode" : 201,
    "headers" : [
      {
        "name" : "Content-Type",
        "value" : "application/json; charset=UTF-8"
      }
    ], 
    "body" : "{ \"officeId\": 1, \"clientId\": 1, ...}"
  },
  {
    "requestId" : 2,
    "statusCode" : 201,
    "headers" : [
      {
        "name" : "Content-Type",
        "value" : "application/json; charset=UTF-8"
      }
    ],
    "body" : "{ \"officeId\": 1, \"clientId\": 1, \"loanId\": 1, ...}"
  },
  {
    "requestId" : 3,
    "statusCode" : 201,
    "headers" : [
      {
        "name" : "Content-Type",
        "value" : "application/json; charset=UTF-8"
      }
    ],
    "body" : "{ \"officeId\": 1, \"clientId\": 2, ...}"
  },
  {
    "requestId" : 4,
    "statusCode" : 201,
    "headers" : [
      {
        "name" : "Content-Type",
        "value" : "application/json; charset=UTF-8"
      }
    ],
    "body" : "{ \"officeId\": 1, \"clientId\": 2, \"savingsId\": 1, ...}"
  }
]
Helpful SkillsJava (Jersey, Spring, JPA) , Javascript, CSS, HTML5. AngularJS and Bootstrap (CSS framework) is plus
ImpactBetter usability. improve the productivity of users and actions will be taken on time.Other ResourcesUsability and DesignFriendlier API's would accelerate the development of Offline Modules and bulk processing workflows
Other Resourceshttps://developers.facebook.com/docs/graph-api/making-multiple-requests/

Business Analytics (OLAP)

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MentorsAnuruddha Premalal (plus Michael Vorburger, as needed)
Overview & Objectives

Primary objective of this project is to build a standalone installer for MifosX platform. Standalone installer is a great way to evaluate and explore MifosX platform quickly. We want:

  • Possibility of Mifos self-contained demo package
  • Simple / easy launch of integration/acceptance testing, without requiring an external DB
  • Development without manual MySQL installation
Description

Standalone installer will consist of an embeded apache server and a DB. It should also ship with the latest mifosx build war file which should automatically deployed
on to the embedded server at the installation time.

1. Develop the installer as an executable jar format so that it will support many platforms with JRE.
2. Provides a simplified installation option with an embedded data base and a server.
3. Develop GUI and command line base installation modes.

GUI MODE OPTIONS
================

Tomcat Port This is the port at which to run tomcat.
MySQL Port This is the port at which to run mysql
File > Quit This menu item stops tomcat and mysql and then closes the application.
File > Launch Browser This menu item opens the MifosX login page for the current web application context.
File > Clear Output This clears the output log in a user interface text area. But does not clear the log file which will written on the file system.
Start This button runs tomcat, which will automatically start the mysql database engine if it was not already running. For the embedded mysql, the first connection automatically starts the mysql engine.
Stop This button stops tomcat and then also stops the mysql database engine, without closing the application.

COMMAND LINE OPTIONS
====================

-mysqlport Use to override the mysql port in the runtime properties file.
-tomcatport Use to override the tomcat port in the runtime properties file.
-start Use to start the server.
-stop Use to stop the server.
-browser Use to launch a new browser instance.

This sub-project would port / apply our MIFOS-5157 Installer-free simple launcher from classic Mifos to Mifos X, and then look at how to extend such a package to run without any existing external database as planned in MIFOS-4926 (which MIFOS-5157 doesn't cover). The first thought that comes to mind is to achieve this with a pure-Java in-memory database such as H2 or Derby. However, in order to avoid maintaining & supporting 2 different databases for Mifos, we'd like to base this on https://github.com/vorburger/MariaDB4j. While we are at it, we should also replace the classic GPL mysql driver by the LGPL MariaDB Client Library.

Helpful Skills SQLSQL, Java, Javascript, Git, Web Services, Big Data (Hadoop, HiveBuild scripts (Gradle/Maven)
Impact

For many microfinance institutions who lack technical skills, installing Mifos X is a burden that prevents them from using this software to more efficiently serve the poor. Often they get lost in the installation process when having to separately install java, their web server, MySQL, and then deploy Mifos. A self-contained package acting as a simple one-step installer for Mifos would help make the software more accessible to more organizations and allow for MFI to more easily test the software and see the immense value it provides.

Other Resources

https://wiki.openmrs.org/display/docs/OpenMRS+Standalone
https://github.com/openmrs/openmrs-standalone
https://github.com/openmrs/openmrs-standalone/tree/master/src/main/config

See Linux Installers wiki page

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MentorsNayan Ambali
Overview & Objectives

To allow field-based staff to manage their daily schedules and to ensure that their supervisors are able to review these tasks and to plan field operations and bring in more efficiency and transparency for field operations. To meet the requirement, Android based app need to be developed to cover these uses cases. And this app will be an extension to MIfos X mobile client.

Description

Field officers typically have a predefined set of tasks to follow, for example: Do survey for a locality, Conduct Group Trainings, Conduct Group Tests, Do Center Meetings and Collections. Each could have a task code to make operations streamlined.

Field officers manage their calendars by selecting an activity and specifying a center, date and time for which this activity is planned. This becomes their planned activity for this slot.

A simple workflow to manage each slot – when field officer starts the activity, status of the slot is changed from “new” to “open” and when the activity is completed, it is set to “closed”. It would be ideal to manage this workflow using a mobile tool – preferably an inbound SMS message. For example: an SMS from the field officer’s phone with the text “OPEN 1430” will change the status to “OPEN” of the field officer’s activity that was planned for 2:30pm.

Field officer may change his plan up to a certain time prior to the start of the activity.

Auditors and branch managers will review the activities and track the field officers’ planning and efficiency.

Helpful SkillsJava, XML, SQL , Git, SMS integration, Android app development is plus
ImpactField efficiency and operational efficiency
Other ResourcesSee SMS Integration and Outbound SMS

Web UI quality cross browser non-regression testing

MentorsMichael Vorburger
Overview & Objectives

While the Mifos X Community App front-end UI based on AngularJS-based currently does already have some JS unit tests, we lack a full UI level web tests which continually non-regression test common scenarios. We believe having this could add value in terms of quality, including ensuring automated cross browser testing.

Description

Possibly building upon a extremely limited small scale existing POC (if you find it to be a useful starting point), your mission, should you chose to accept it, would be to build out comprehensive UI walk through scenario test coverage for the Mifos X UI. If you can build more such tests faster and more maintainable (= less code) by using any of the existing frameworks listed below or others you know of / will find, or build useful such infrastructure yourself as part of this code, we're eager to hear from you! Keep in mind that the main deliverable of this project is not (only) a foundation framework, but must actually include an extensive suite of running tests integrated into the Mifos build.

Helpful SkillsCandidates should demonstrate serious interest and basic know-how by accompanying their application for this project with pull requests to the existing mifosx-ui-selenium-webdriver-tests POC.
ImpactContinuously verified and cross browser checked quality of the Mifos X UI.
Other Resources

http://docs.seleniumhq.org/projects/webdriver/

https://github.com/vorburger/mifosx-ui-selenium-webdriver-tests

https://github.com/vorburger/webdriver-runner

https://saucelabs.com or https://browserling.com

https://github.com/FluentLenium/FluentLenium

http://www.gebish.org

http://www.thucydides.info

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