281 lines
17 KiB
Markdown
281 lines
17 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
type: reference, dev
|
|
stage: none
|
|
group: Development
|
|
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
# Merge requests workflow
|
|
|
|
We welcome merge requests from everyone, with fixes and improvements
|
|
to GitLab code, tests, and documentation. The issues that are specifically suitable
|
|
for community contributions are listed with the [`Accepting merge requests`](issue_workflow.md#label-for-community-contributors)
|
|
label, but you are free to contribute to any issue you want.
|
|
|
|
Please note that if an issue is marked for the current milestone at any time, even
|
|
when you are working on it, a GitLab Inc. team member may take over the merge request
|
|
in order to ensure the work is finished before the release date.
|
|
|
|
If you want to add a new feature that is not labeled, it is best to first create
|
|
an issue (if there isn't one already) and leave a comment asking for it
|
|
to be marked as `Accepting Merge Requests`. Please include screenshots or
|
|
wireframes of the proposed feature if it will also change the UI.
|
|
|
|
Merge requests should be submitted to the appropriate project at GitLab.com, for example
|
|
[GitLab](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests),
|
|
[GitLab Runner](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/-/merge_requests),
|
|
[Omnibus GitLab](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/omnibus-gitlab/-/merge_requests), etc.
|
|
|
|
If you are new to GitLab development (or web development in general), see the
|
|
[how to contribute](index.md#how-to-contribute) section to get started with
|
|
some potentially easy issues.
|
|
|
|
To start developing GitLab, download the [GitLab Development Kit](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-development-kit)
|
|
and see the [Development section](../../README.md) for the required guidelines.
|
|
|
|
## Merge request guidelines
|
|
|
|
If you find an issue, please submit a merge request with a fix or improvement, if
|
|
you can, and include tests. If you don't know how to fix the issue but can write a test
|
|
that exposes the issue, we will accept that as well. In general, bug fixes that
|
|
include a regression test are merged quickly, while new features without proper
|
|
tests might be slower to receive feedback. The workflow to make a merge
|
|
request is as follows:
|
|
|
|
1. [Fork](../../user/project/repository/forking_workflow.md) the project into
|
|
your personal namespace (or group) on GitLab.com.
|
|
1. Create a feature branch in your fork (don't work off `master`).
|
|
1. Write [tests](../rake_tasks.md#run-tests) and code.
|
|
1. [Generate a changelog entry with `bin/changelog`](../changelog.md)
|
|
1. If you are writing documentation, make sure to follow the
|
|
[documentation guidelines](../documentation/index.md).
|
|
1. Follow the [commit messages guidelines](#commit-messages-guidelines).
|
|
1. If you have multiple commits, combine them into a few logically organized
|
|
commits by [squashing them](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Tools-Rewriting-History#_squashing),
|
|
but do not change the commit history if you're working on shared branches though.
|
|
1. Push the commit(s) to your working branch in your fork.
|
|
1. Submit a merge request (MR) to the `master` branch in the main GitLab project.
|
|
1. Your merge request needs at least 1 approval, but depending on your changes
|
|
you might need additional approvals. Refer to the [Approval guidelines](../code_review.md#approval-guidelines).
|
|
1. You don't have to select any specific approvers, but you can if you really want
|
|
specific people to approve your merge request.
|
|
1. The MR title should describe the change you want to make.
|
|
1. The MR description should give a reason for your change.
|
|
1. If you are contributing code, fill in the description according to the default
|
|
template already provided in the "Description" field.
|
|
1. If you are contributing documentation, choose `Documentation` from the
|
|
"Choose a template" menu and fill in the description according to the template.
|
|
1. Use the syntax `Solves #XXX`, `Closes #XXX`, or `Refs #XXX` to mention the issue(s) your merge
|
|
request addresses. Referenced issues do not [close automatically](../../user/project/issues/managing_issues.md#closing-issues-automatically).
|
|
You must close them manually once the merge request is merged.
|
|
1. The MR must include *Before* and *After* screenshots if UI changes are made.
|
|
1. Include any steps or setup required to ensure reviewers can view the changes you've made (e.g. include any information about feature flags).
|
|
1. If you're allowed to, set a relevant milestone and [labels](issue_workflow.md).
|
|
1. UI changes should use available components from the GitLab Design System,
|
|
[Pajamas](https://design.gitlab.com/).
|
|
1. If the MR changes CSS classes, please include the list of affected pages, which
|
|
can be found by running `grep css-class ./app -R`.
|
|
1. If your MR touches code that executes shell commands, reads or opens files, or
|
|
handles paths to files on disk, make sure it adheres to the
|
|
[shell command guidelines](../shell_commands.md)
|
|
1. If your code creates new files on disk please read the
|
|
[shared files guidelines](../shared_files.md).
|
|
1. If your merge request adds one or more migrations, make sure to execute all
|
|
migrations on a fresh database before the MR is reviewed. If the review leads
|
|
to large changes in the MR, execute the migrations again once the review is complete.
|
|
1. Write tests for more complex migrations.
|
|
1. Merge requests **must** adhere to the [merge request performance guidelines](../merge_request_performance_guidelines.md).
|
|
1. For tests that use Capybara, read
|
|
[how to write reliable, asynchronous integration tests](https://thoughtbot.com/blog/write-reliable-asynchronous-integration-tests-with-capybara).
|
|
1. If your merge request introduces changes that require additional steps when
|
|
installing GitLab from source, add them to `doc/install/installation.md` in
|
|
the same merge request.
|
|
1. If your merge request introduces changes that require additional steps when
|
|
upgrading GitLab from source, add them to
|
|
`doc/update/upgrading_from_source.md` in the same merge request. If these
|
|
instructions are specific to a version, add them to the "Version specific
|
|
upgrading instructions" section.
|
|
1. Read and adhere to
|
|
[The responsibility of the merge request author](../code_review.md#the-responsibility-of-the-merge-request-author).
|
|
1. Read and follow
|
|
[Having your merge request reviewed](../code_review.md#having-your-merge-request-reviewed).
|
|
|
|
If you would like quick feedback on your merge request feel free to mention someone
|
|
from the [core team](https://about.gitlab.com/community/core-team/) or one of the
|
|
[merge request coaches](https://about.gitlab.com/company/team/). When having your code reviewed
|
|
and when reviewing merge requests, please keep the [code review guidelines](../code_review.md)
|
|
in mind. And if your code also makes changes to the database, or does expensive queries,
|
|
check the [database review guidelines](../database_review.md).
|
|
|
|
### Keep it simple
|
|
|
|
*Live by smaller iterations.* Please keep the amount of changes in a single MR **as small as possible**.
|
|
If you want to contribute a large feature, think very carefully about what the
|
|
[minimum viable change](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/#the-minimally-viable-change)
|
|
is. Can you split the functionality into two smaller MRs? Can you submit only the
|
|
backend/API code? Can you start with a very simple UI? Can you do just a part of the
|
|
refactor?
|
|
|
|
Small MRs which are more easily reviewed, lead to higher code quality which is
|
|
more important to GitLab than having a minimal commit log. The smaller an MR is,
|
|
the more likely it will be merged quickly. After that you can send more MRs to
|
|
enhance and expand the feature. The [How to get faster PR reviews](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/blob/release-1.5/docs/devel/faster_reviews.md)
|
|
document from the Kubernetes team also has some great points regarding this.
|
|
|
|
### Commit messages guidelines
|
|
|
|
Commit messages should follow the guidelines below, for reasons explained by Chris Beams in [How to Write a Git Commit Message](https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/):
|
|
|
|
- The commit subject and body must be separated by a blank line.
|
|
- The commit subject must start with a capital letter.
|
|
- The commit subject must not be longer than 72 characters.
|
|
- The commit subject must not end with a period.
|
|
- The commit body must not contain more than 72 characters per line.
|
|
- The commit subject or body must not contain Emojis.
|
|
- Commits that change 30 or more lines across at least 3 files should
|
|
describe these changes in the commit body.
|
|
- Use issues and merge requests' full URLs instead of short references,
|
|
as they are displayed as plain text outside of GitLab.
|
|
- The merge request should not contain more than 10 commit messages.
|
|
- The commit subject should contain at least 3 words.
|
|
|
|
**Important notes:**
|
|
|
|
- If the guidelines are not met, the MR may not pass the [Danger checks](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/blob/master/danger/commit_messages/Dangerfile).
|
|
- Consider enabling [Squash and merge](../../user/project/merge_requests/squash_and_merge.md#squash-and-merge)
|
|
if your merge request includes "Applied suggestion to X files" commits, so that Danger can ignore those.
|
|
- The prefixes in the form of `[prefix]` and `prefix:` are allowed (they can be all lowercase, as long
|
|
as the message itself is capitalized). For instance, `danger: Improve Danger behavior` and
|
|
`[API] Improve the labels endpoint` are valid commit messages.
|
|
|
|
#### Why these standards matter
|
|
|
|
1. Consistent commit messages that follow these guidelines make the history more readable.
|
|
1. Concise standard commit messages helps to identify [breaking changes](index.md#breaking-changes) for a deployment or ~"master:broken" quicker when
|
|
reviewing commits between two points in time.
|
|
|
|
#### Commit message template
|
|
|
|
Example commit message template that can be used on your machine that embodies the above (guide for [how to apply template](https://codeinthehole.com/tips/a-useful-template-for-commit-messages/)):
|
|
|
|
```plaintext
|
|
# (If applied, this commit will...) <subject> (Max 50 char)
|
|
# |<---- Using a Maximum Of 50 Characters ---->|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# Explain why this change is being made
|
|
# |<---- Try To Limit Each Line to a Maximum Of 72 Characters ---->|
|
|
|
|
# Provide links or keys to any relevant tickets, articles or other resources
|
|
# Use issues and merge requests' full URLs instead of short references,
|
|
# as they are displayed as plain text outside of GitLab
|
|
|
|
# --- COMMIT END ---
|
|
# --------------------
|
|
# Remember to
|
|
# Capitalize the subject line
|
|
# Use the imperative mood in the subject line
|
|
# Do not end the subject line with a period
|
|
# Subject must contain at least 3 words
|
|
# Separate subject from body with a blank line
|
|
# Commits that change 30 or more lines across at least 3 files should
|
|
# describe these changes in the commit body
|
|
# Do not use Emojis
|
|
# Use the body to explain what and why vs. how
|
|
# Can use multiple lines with "-" for bullet points in body
|
|
# For more information: https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/
|
|
# --------------------
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
## Contribution acceptance criteria
|
|
|
|
To make sure that your merge request can be approved, please ensure that it meets
|
|
the contribution acceptance criteria below:
|
|
|
|
1. The change is as small as possible.
|
|
1. Include proper tests and make all tests pass (unless it contains a test
|
|
exposing a bug in existing code). Every new class should have corresponding
|
|
unit tests, even if the class is exercised at a higher level, such as a feature test.
|
|
- If a failing CI build seems to be unrelated to your contribution, you can try
|
|
restarting the failing CI job, rebasing from `master` to bring in updates that
|
|
may resolve the failure, or if it has not been fixed yet, ask a developer to
|
|
help you fix the test.
|
|
1. The MR initially contains a few logically organized commits.
|
|
1. The changes can merge without problems. If not, you should rebase if you're the
|
|
only one working on your feature branch, otherwise merge `master`.
|
|
1. Only one specific issue is fixed or one specific feature is implemented. Do not
|
|
combine things; send separate merge requests for each issue or feature.
|
|
1. Migrations should do only one thing (e.g., create a table, move data to a new
|
|
table, or remove an old table) to aid retrying on failure.
|
|
1. Contains functionality that other users will benefit from.
|
|
1. Doesn't add configuration options or settings options since they complicate making
|
|
and testing future changes.
|
|
1. Changes do not degrade performance:
|
|
- Avoid repeated polling of endpoints that require a significant amount of overhead.
|
|
- Check for N+1 queries via the SQL log or [`QueryRecorder`](../merge_request_performance_guidelines.md).
|
|
- Avoid repeated access of the file system.
|
|
- Use [polling with ETag caching](../polling.md) if needed to support real-time features.
|
|
1. If the merge request adds any new libraries (gems, JavaScript libraries, etc.),
|
|
they should conform to our [Licensing guidelines](../licensing.md). See those
|
|
instructions for help if the "license-finder" test fails with a
|
|
`Dependencies that need approval` error. Also, make the reviewer aware of the new
|
|
library and explain why you need it.
|
|
1. The merge request meets the GitLab [definition of done](#definition-of-done), below.
|
|
|
|
## Definition of done
|
|
|
|
If you contribute to GitLab please know that changes involve more than just
|
|
code. We use the following [definition of done](https://www.agilealliance.org/glossary/definition-of-done).
|
|
Your contribution is not *done* until you have made sure it meets all of these
|
|
requirements.
|
|
|
|
1. Clear description explaining the relevancy of the contribution.
|
|
1. Working and clean code that is commented where needed.
|
|
1. [Unit, integration, and system tests](../testing_guide/index.md) that all pass
|
|
on the CI server.
|
|
1. Regressions and bugs are covered with tests that reduce the risk of the issue happening
|
|
again.
|
|
1. [Performance guidelines](../merge_request_performance_guidelines.md) have been followed.
|
|
1. [Secure coding guidelines](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/gl-security/security-guidelines) have been followed.
|
|
1. [Documented](../documentation/index.md) in the `/doc` directory.
|
|
1. [Changelog entry added](../changelog.md), if necessary.
|
|
1. Reviewed by relevant reviewers and all concerns are addressed for Availability, Regressions, Security. Documentation reviews should take place as soon as possible, but they should not block a merge request.
|
|
1. Merged by a project maintainer.
|
|
1. Create an issue in the [infrastructure issue tracker](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/gl-infra/infrastructure/-/issues) to inform the Infrastructure department when your contribution is changing default settings or introduces a new setting, if relevant.
|
|
1. Confirmed to be working in the [Canary stage](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/#canary-testing) with no new [Sentry](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/#sentry) errors or on GitLab.com once the contribution is deployed.
|
|
1. Added to the [release post](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/blog/release-posts/),
|
|
if relevant.
|
|
1. Added to [the website](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/blob/master/data/features.yml), if relevant.
|
|
1. [Black-box tests/end-to-end tests](../testing_guide/testing_levels.md#black-box-tests-at-the-system-level-aka-end-to-end-tests)
|
|
added if required. Please contact [the quality team](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/quality/#teams)
|
|
with any questions.
|
|
1. The new feature does not degrade the user experience of the product.
|
|
|
|
## Dependencies
|
|
|
|
If you add a dependency in GitLab (such as an operating system package) please
|
|
consider updating the following, and note the applicability of each in your merge
|
|
request:
|
|
|
|
1. Note the addition in the [release blog post](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/blog/release-posts/)
|
|
(create one if it doesn't exist yet).
|
|
1. [The upgrade guide](../../update/upgrading_from_source.md).
|
|
1. The [GitLab Installation Guide](../../install/installation.md#1-packages-and-dependencies).
|
|
1. The [GitLab Development Kit](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-development-kit).
|
|
1. The [CI environment preparation](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/blob/master/scripts/prepare_build.sh).
|
|
1. The [Omnibus package creator](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/omnibus-gitlab).
|
|
1. The [Cloud Native GitLab Dockerfiles](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/build/CNG)
|
|
|
|
## Incremental improvements
|
|
|
|
We allow engineering time to fix small problems (with or without an
|
|
issue) that are incremental improvements, such as:
|
|
|
|
1. Unprioritized bug fixes (e.g. [Banner alerting of project move is
|
|
showing up everywhere](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/18985))
|
|
1. Documentation improvements
|
|
1. Rubocop or Code Quality improvements
|
|
|
|
Tag a merge request with ~"Stuff that should Just Work" to track work in
|
|
this area.
|