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Expand the changelog documentation 

Adds examples of what should and should not get a changelog entry, and
examples of good and bad entries.

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Robert Speicher 2017-02-02 15:19:39 -05:00
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doc/development/changelog.md
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@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
# Generate a changelog entry
# Changelog entries
This guide contains instructions for generating a changelog entry data file, as
well as information and history about our changelog process.
This guide contains instructions for when and how to generate a changelog entry
file, as well as information and history about our changelog process.
## Overview
@ -19,19 +19,51 @@ author: Ozzy Osbourne
The `merge_request` value is a reference to a merge request that adds this
entry, and the `author` key is used to give attribution to community
contributors. Both are optional.
contributors. **Both are optional**.
Community contributors and core team members are encouraged to add their name to
the `author` field. GitLab team members should not.
If you're working on the GitLab EE repository, the entry will be added to
`changelogs/unreleased-ee/` instead.
the `author` field. GitLab team members **should not**.
[changelog.md]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md
[unreleased]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/tree/master/changelogs/
[YAML]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YAML
## Instructions
## What warrants a changelog entry?
- Any user-facing change **should** have a changelog entry. Example: "GitLab now
uses system fonts for all text."
- A fix for a regression introduced and then fixed in the same release (i.e.,
fixing a bug introduced during a monthly release candidate) **should not**
have a changelog entry.
- Any developer-facing change (e.g., refactoring, technical debt remediation,
test suite changes) **should not** have a changelog entry. Example: "Reduce
database records created during Cycle Analytics model spec."
- _Any_ contribution from a community member, no matter how small, **may** have
a changelog entry regardless of these guidelines if the contributor wants one.
Example: "Fixed a typo on the search results page. (Jane Smith)"
## Writing good changelog entries
A good changelog entry should be descriptive and concise. It should explain the
change to a reader who has _zero context_ about the change. If you have trouble
making it both concise and descriptive, err on the side of descriptive.
- **Bad:** Go to a project order.
- **Good:** Show a user's starred projects at the top of the "Go to project"
dropdown.
- **Bad:** Copy [some text] to clipboard.
- **Good:** Update the "Copy to clipboard" tooltip to indicate what's being
copied.
- **Bad:** Fixes and Improves CSS and HTML problems in mini pipeline graph and
builds dropdown.
- **Good:** Fix tooltips and hover states in mini pipeline graph and builds
dropdown.
Use your best judgement and try to put yourself in the mindset of someone
reading the compiled changelog. Does this entry add value? Does it offer context
about _where_ and _why_ the change was made?
## How to generate a changelog entry
A `bin/changelog` script is available to generate the changelog entry file
automatically.
@ -55,19 +87,28 @@ title: Hey DZ, I added a feature to GitLab!
merge_request:
author:
```
If you're working on the GitLab EE repository, the entry will be added to
`changelogs/unreleased-ee/` instead.
### Arguments
#### Arguments
| Argument | Shorthand | Purpose |
| ----------------- | --------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| `--amend` | | Amend the previous commit |
| `--force` | `-f` | Overwrite an existing entry |
| `--merge-request` | `-m` | Merge Request ID |
| `--dry-run` | `-n` | Don't actually write anything, just print |
| `--git-username` | `-u` | Use Git user.name configuration as the author |
| `--help` | `-h` | Print help message |
| Argument | Shorthand | Purpose |
| ----------------- | --------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| [`--amend`] | | Amend the previous commit |
| [`--force`] | `-f` | Overwrite an existing entry |
| [`--merge-request`] | `-m` | Set merge request ID |
| [`--dry-run`] | `-n` | Don't actually write anything, just print |
| [`--git-username`] | `-u` | Use Git user.name configuration as the author |
| [`--help`] | `-h` | Print help message |
#### `--amend`
[`--amend`]: #-amend
[`--force`]: #-force-or-f
[`--merge-request`]: #-merge-request-or-m
[`--dry-run`]: #-dry-run-or-n
[`--git-username`]: #-git-username-or-u
[`--help`]: #-help
##### `--amend`
You can pass the **`--amend`** argument to automatically stage the generated
file and amend it to the previous commit.
@ -88,7 +129,7 @@ merge_request:
author:
```
#### `--force` or `-f`
##### `--force` or `-f`
Use **`--force`** or **`-f`** to overwrite an existing changelog entry if it
already exists.
@ -105,7 +146,7 @@ merge_request: 1983
author:
```
#### `--merge-request` or `-m`
##### `--merge-request` or `-m`
Use the **`--merge-request`** or **`-m`** argument to provide the
`merge_request` value:
@ -119,7 +160,7 @@ merge_request: 1983
author:
```
#### `--dry-run` or `-n`
##### `--dry-run` or `-n`
Use the **`--dry-run`** or **`-n`** argument to prevent actually writing or
committing anything:
@ -135,7 +176,7 @@ author:
$ ls changelogs/unreleased/
```
#### `--git-username` or `-u`
##### `--git-username` or `-u`
Use the **`--git-username`** or **`-u`** argument to automatically fill in the
`author` value with your configured Git `user.name` value:
@ -152,7 +193,7 @@ merge_request:
author: Jane Doe
```
## History and Reasoning
### History and Reasoning
Our `CHANGELOG` file was previously updated manually by each contributor that
felt their change warranted an entry. When two merge requests added their own