RE: Where is BIRT development discussed ??? Re: [birt-dev] Requestforpat

["Paul Clenahan" <pclenahan@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dan,

We will go ahead and add more information to the project pages to
explain the process. Watch this space. Well, actually, watch this space:
http://www.eclipse.org/birt/phoenix/project/.

As a note on the Bugzilla based process, you should be aware that it is
easy to add yourself as an "interested party" for a particular Bugzilla
entry. This is how we keep track of discussions. To do this, add your
email address to the CC: field for a Bugzilla entry. You will then be
emailed anytime that Bugzilla entry is changed.

Regards,

Paul Clenahan
BIRT PMC

-----Original Message-----
From: birt-dev-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:birt-dev-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Daniel John Debrunner
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 12:29 PM
To: birt-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Where is BIRT development discussed ??? Re: [birt-dev]
Requestforpatch review for Bugzilla 176874

Wenfeng Li wrote:
> Hi, Dan
> 
> I am interested in learning how other open source projects conduct 
> public code reviews.  Do others use net meeting to broadcast their 
> code review sessions?

No, typically through comments in e-mail on the dev list or attached to
the bug entry. No need to hold a session, just have people review the
code and provide feedback that makes it to the list so that others can
see what is expected of patches. And seeing the review comments make
make them see other potential issues.

> In BIRT project, the practice has been an existing committer reviews 
> the patches that is submitted via bugzilla.  The committer will put 
> his/her comments in bugzilla to indicate any changes is needed on the 
> code and if the patch has been accepted and checked into the project
code base.
> Others can also put in comments in bugzilla.  

That sounds good, but these comments or any activity from bugzilla
doesn't make it to the birt-dev list. So if a subscriber doesn't know
about a bugzilla entry they can't know about the discussions that are
happening in the bugzilla entry. For example I guess there are
discussions going on in a number of bugzillas, but how would I find out
about them? Other projects solve this by having all changes to bugzilla
send e-mail to the developer list including the entry of a bug,
assignment, comments, status updates etc. Then all that information
becomes searchable through the archives.

> BIRT project also has a BPS (BIRT Project Spec) process for project 
> level proposals in wiki.  Preliminary feature spec are added to BIRT's

> wiki pages. The community can then add comments to the specification 
> via wiki. BIRT's Project mgmt committee will decide which BPS is 
> scheduled for a release based on if the project is within the scope of

> the project charter and more importantly if there is a committer signs

> up to complete the project within the release timeframe.  For 
> scheduled projects, a bugzilla is created assigned to a target 
> milestone.  The majority of design discussion from that point forward 
> is done through Bugzilla.  You can find the list of projects for each 
> release in BIRT's project planning page.

That's a great place, but when I go to the community page for BIRT
there's no mention of that. So, like me, a potential new contributor is
likely to miss that.

> User community can also submit feature/enhancement request through 
> Bugzilla, follow up discussion will happen in the Bugzilla entry.  
> Small enh on existing feature will be scheduled by committers based on

> their interests and resource. Large enhancement or brand new function 
> area will go thru the planning process above.

Right, but how would I get notification of a new entry? Is a interested
contributor meant to check bugzilla for new entries constantly?

> You can also see some discussions about project structure, build 
> process, release schedule, release coordination messages in the 
> birt-dev mailing list that are of concern to the general BIRT 
> committer community.
> 
> As a general practice for the BIRT project, we try to follow the dev 
> process of the Eclipse platform project.  One reason is that they have

> a proven track record of producing a successful software as well as 
> attracting a large user community. The other reason is that we are on 
> one release train now, so it is easier to synch up with similar
process.

Sounds good, but it's not obvious to a reader from the community page
that the majority of developer discussion is meant to happen in
bugzilla.

Thanks for the answers,
Dan.

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