Introduction
MapLibre is an open-source JavaScript library for publishing interactive vector maps on websites and applications. Originally forked from Mapbox GL JS in December 2020 (when Mapbox switched to a non-OSS license), MapLibre has evolved significantly beyond being just a replacement. With over 7,700 GitHub stars, 843 forks, and contributions from 551 developers, MapLibre has established itself as the leading open-source solution for web-based vector mapping.
We researched MapLibre on collab.dev and discovered some fascinating collaboration patterns that highlight the project's efficient development practices.
Key Highlights
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Lightning-Fast Merge Times: MapLibre processes pull requests with remarkable efficiency, with a median merge time of just 12 minutes and 21 seconds, allowing contributors to see their work integrated quickly.
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Minimal Wait Times: Contributors experience extremely short wait times, with an overall average wait time of just 10 minutes and 14 seconds, enabling rapid development cycles.
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Strong Bot Integration: 82% of PRs are bot-generated, with bots responsible for 47.7% of all repository events, demonstrating a high level of workflow automation.
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Exceptional Review Speed: 85% of reviews are completed within 1 hour, with a median review turnaround time of just 16 seconds, providing almost immediate feedback to developers.
MapLibre demonstrates how bot-driven development and hyper-efficient review processes create an exceptional developer experience while maintaining quality standards. This approach likely emerged from both the project's origin as a community fork needing rapid stability and the mapping domain's technical complexity. By automating routine tasks, human contributors can focus on the creative aspects of vector map rendering.