[Evolution-hackers] How to incorporate and test changes to code - an overview??

[Carlos Gonzalez <carlos gonzalez shaw ca>]

Hi everyone, 

This is my first post on the list so bear with me if some of what I ask
about seems like old hat to most of you :).  

I have been using Evolution for a few days now and find it a very
worthwhile program.  But I have been encountering lots of frustrating
quirks to using it that I would like to change.  Rather than waiting for
changes to be made, if ever, through the more normal channels I prefer
to make changes to the source code myself and recompile if necessary.  

It's the first open source program I have encountered that needs some
changes pretty bad but which is already at a point of being quite
useful.  So it's worth it for me to do this.  

So...I am wondering first off if there is some kind of guide online for
newbie hackers of the source code and where that might be?  

Secondly in a more general sense I am wondering about the whole
methodology used in making changes to the source code such that I can
make them and test them within a reasonable time period.  Obviously I
cannot wait to test a change by recompiling the source with every few
changes.  There must be a much faster way of doing this that Evolution
programmers use but of which I am unaware.  Do they build test scripts
that can test individual functions?  One at a time?  Such that they can
compile changes to the function quickly to test before incorporating
into the source code tree? 

Lastly what is a good way to keep any changes I make while also making
use of the latest stable builds to Evolution? Is it theoretically
possible to download the entire source, for me to create and run a Perl
or other script to patch the source code, and then to recompile so that
I get the best and greatest from Evolution while also incorporating my
changes.  

Any input on any or all of the above would be most appreciated.  Some of
evolutions quirks are starting to drive me nuts yet I don't want to
cease using it since it's the best there is on Linux.  

Carlos