135 lines
5.5 KiB
ReStructuredText
135 lines
5.5 KiB
ReStructuredText
.. _feature-tracking:
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Feature Tracking
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#################
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For feature tracking we use Github labels to classify new features and
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enhancements. The following is the description of each category:
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Enhancement
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Changes to existing features that are not considered a bug and would not
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block a release. This is an incremental enhancement to a feature that already
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exists in Zephyr.
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Feature request
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A request for a feature that is not part of any release plans yet, that has
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not been vetted, and needs further discussion and details.
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Feature
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A committed and planned feature with a detailed design and implementation
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proposal and an owner. Features must go through an RFC process and must be
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vetted and discussed in the TSC before a target milestone is set.
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The following workflow should be used to process features:.
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This is the formal way for asking for a new feature in Zephyr and indicating its
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importance to the project. Often, the requester may have a readiness and
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willingness to drive implementation of the feature in an upcoming release, and
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should assign the request to themselves.
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If not though, an owner will be assigned after evaluation by the TSC.
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A feature request can also have a companion RFC with more details on the feature
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and a proposed design or implementation.
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- Label new features requests as ``feature-request``
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- The TSC discusses new ``feature-request`` items regularly and triages them.
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Items are examined for similarity with existing features, how they fit with
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the project goals and other timeline considerations. The priority is
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determined as follows:
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- High = Next milestone
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- Medium = As soon as possible
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- Low = Best effort
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- After the initial discussion and triaging, the label is moved from
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``feature-request`` to ``feature`` with the target milestone and an assignee.
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All items marked as ``feature-request`` are non-binding and those without an
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assignee are open for grabs, meaning that they can be picked up and implemented
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by any project member or the community. You should contact an assigned owner if
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you'd like to discuss or contribute to that feature's implementation
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Proposals and RFCs
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*******************
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Many changes, including bug fixes and documentation improvements can be
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implemented and reviewed via the normal GitHub pull request workflow.
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Many changes however are "substantial" and need to go through a
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design process and produce a consensus among the project stakeholders.
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The "RFC" (request for comments) process is intended to provide a consistent and
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controlled path for new features to enter the project.
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Contributors and project stakeholders should consider using this process if
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they intend to make "substantial" changes to Zephyr or its documentation. Some
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examples that would benefit from an RFC are:
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- A new feature that creates new API surface area, and would require a feature
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flag if introduced.
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- The removal of features that already shipped as part of Zephyr.
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- The introduction of new idiomatic usage or conventions, even if they do not
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include code changes to Zephyr itself.
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The RFC process is a great opportunity to get more eyeballs on proposals coming
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from contributors before it becomes a part of Zephyr. Quite often, even
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proposals that seem "obvious" can be significantly improved once a wider group
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of interested people have a chance to weigh in.
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The RFC process can also be helpful to encourage discussions about a proposed
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feature as it is being designed, and incorporate important constraints into the
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design while it's easier to change, before the design has been fully
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implemented.
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Some changes do not require an RFC:
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- Rephrasing, reorganizing or refactoring
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- Addition or removal of warnings
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- Addition of new boards, SoCs or drivers to existing subsystems
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- ...
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Roadmap and Release Plans
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*************************
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Project roadmaps and release plans are both important tools for the project, but
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they have very different purposes and should not be confused. A project roadmap
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communicates the high-level overview of a project's strategy, while a release
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plan is a tactical document designed to capture and track the features planned
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for upcoming releases.
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- The project roadmap communicates the why; a release plan details the what
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- A release plan spans only a few months; a product roadmap might cover a year
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or more
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Project Roadmap
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================
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The project roadmap should serve as a high-level, visual summary of the
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project's strategic objectives and expectations.
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If built properly, the roadmap can be a valuable tool for several reasons. It
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can help the project present its plan in a compelling way to existing and new
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stakeholders, to help recruit new members and it can be a helpful resource the
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team and community can refer to throughout the project's development, to ensure
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they are still executing according to plan.
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As such, the roadmap should contain only strategic-level details, major project
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themes, epics, and goals.
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Release Plans
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==============
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The release plan comes into play when the project roadmap's high-level strategy
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is translated into an actionable plan built on specific features, enhancements,
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and fixes that need to go into a specific release or milestone.
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The release plan communicates those features and enhancements slated for your
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project' next release (or the next few releases). So it acts as more of a
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project plan, breaking the big ideas down into smaller projects the community
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and main stakeholders of the project can make progress on.
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Items labeled as ``features`` are short or long term release items that shall
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have an assignee and a milestone set.
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