Update Google Summer of Code 2026 project ideas

Added new project ideas for Pocket Paint Flutter, Pin projects to the Android launcher, as well as info on how entry tasks will be counted towards the hours.

Author: wslany

pages/development/google-summer-of-code/2026.md

@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ For your submission, please follow <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1
 
 You may use AI tools as much as you like (brainstorming, code generation, refactoring, tests, documentation, review). We believe this can significantly improve quality and learning when used thoughtfully. What matters is the outcome: correctness, maintainability, Clean Code and tests. You must be able to explain and justify your implementation and tests.
 
+To apply for some of the project ideas, please complete the associated entry task, if any, and include the links to the requested demo artifacts in your application. Entry tasks have on purpose been formulated in a little bit more difficult way so that it's not easy to simply feed the idea into an AI, and let the AI completely answer for you. However, we understand that the time to complete an entry task can be substantial, and we therefore ask you to write down the time you need to finish the entry task. In case your proposal will be accepted, this time to complete the entry task will be subtracted from the number of hours that will be agreed to be completed by you. For substantial proposals that we could not accept, there will be some other way of recompense for you, to be decided. 
+
 ## General Knowledge Prerequisites for all Projects
 {: .no_toc }
 
@@ -67,15 +69,30 @@ To apply for this project idea, please complete <a target="_blank" href="https:/
 
 <hr>
 
-### Pocket Paint Flutter
+### Pocket Paint Flutter: backwards compatibility to old Android app
 
 350 Hours  
 {: .label .label-blue }
 
 {: .highlight  }
 > **Required Skills**: Flutter, Dart, Android-Development, Agile Development <br>
 > **Possible Mentors**: Abdulbaki Celebi, Mario Kaurin, Julia Herold, Thorsten Bandel <br>
-> **Expected Outcome**: Features from Kotlin/Java version of Paintroid ported to new Flutter-based version<br>
+> **Expected Outcome**: Compatibility of the Kotlin/Java version file formats in the new Flutter-based version<br>
+> **Difficulty level**: Medium to advanced 
+
+The developer should have knowledge of Flutter. Develop and implement missing tools in Flutter that exist in our old Android app built with Android Native.
+
+<hr>
+
+### Pocket Paint Flutter: antialiasing and smoothing (advanced options)
+
+350 Hours  
+{: .label .label-blue }
+
+{: .highlight  }
+> **Required Skills**: Flutter, Dart, Android-Development, Agile Development <br>
+> **Possible Mentors**: Julia Herold, Thorsten Bandel, Abdulbaki Celebi, Mario Kaurin <br>
+> **Expected Outcome**: Add antialiasing and smoothing as advanced options<br>
 > **Difficulty level**: Medium to advanced 
 
 The developer should have knowledge of Flutter. Develop and implement missing tools in Flutter that exist in our old Android app built with Android Native.
@@ -104,6 +121,24 @@ You won’t need to implement everything—just focus on the part that excites y
 
 <hr>
 
+### Pin projects to the Android launcher (“Play as app” shortcuts)
+
+90, 175 or 350 hours
+{: .label .label-blue }
+
+{: .highlight  }
+> **Required Skills**: Kotlin, Android-Development, Agile Development, Test Driven Development, Clean Code<br>
+> **Possible Mentors**: Wolfgang Slany, Patrick Ratschiller, Paul Spiesberger <br>
+> **Expected Outcome**: Pin to launcher option and functionality to execute projects directly from launcher.<br>
+> **Difficulty level**: Advanced <br>
+> **Task link**: [View task](https://docs.google.com/document/d/14BSMYM7JiwKSqJHJIXSPfNT_PcyK9orRc68WhBzh-3o/edit?usp=sharing)
+
+Add support in Catrobat/Catroid so users can pin a project to the Android home screen with an app-like icon (project thumbnail + title). Tapping the pinned icon must start the project immediately in Play mode (no IDE screens), and exiting Play must not return to the IDE but instead close the task back to the launcher. Implement this via a dedicated shortcut entry point (trampoline) and a stable project identifier, with graceful handling if the project was renamed or deleted. Deliver strong automated tests for intent parsing, task/back-stack behavior, and the exit contract across common Android versions.
+
+To apply for this project idea, please complete <a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/14BSMYM7JiwKSqJHJIXSPfNT_PcyK9orRc68WhBzh-3o/edit?usp=sharing">this entry task</a> and include the links to the requested demo artifact in your application.
+
+<hr>
+
 ### Skeleton-Based Procedural Animation System for Marine Organisms
 
 350 Hours