gitlab.rst

.. SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Huawei Inc.
..
.. SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0

.. include:: ../definitions.rst

Gitlab contributions
####################

.. contents:: 
   :depth: 2

Overview
********

|main_project_name| project handles contributions as `merge requests <https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/merge_requests/>`_
to relevant repositories part of the |main_project_name| `GitLab instance <https://git.ostc-eu.org/OSTC/OHOS>`_.
The flow for handling that is classic: fork-based merge requests. This means
that once you have an account, you can fork any repository, create a branch
with proposed changes and raise a merge request against the forked repository.
More generic information you can find on the Gitlab's documentation as part of
`"Merge requests workflow" <https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/contributing/merge_request_workflow.html>`_.

Commit Guidelines
*****************

.. note::

    If you are new to ``git``, start by reading the official
    `Getting Started Document <https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Getting-Started-First-Time-Git-Setup>`_.

At its core, contributing to the All Scenarios OS project means *wrapping* your work as ``git``
commits. How we handle this has an impact on rebasing, cherry-picking,
back-porting, and ultimately exposing consistent documentation through its
logs.

To achieve this, we maintain the following commit guidelines:

* Each commit should be able to stand by itself providing a building block as
  part of the MR.

  * A good balance of granularity with scoped commits helps to handle backports
    (e.g. cherry-picks) and also improves the ability to review smaller chunks
    of code taking commit by commit.

* Changes that were added on top of changes introduced in the MR, should be
  squashed into the initial commit.

  * For example, a MR that introduced a new build system recipe and, as a
    separate commit, fixed a build error in the initial recipe. The latter
    commit should be squashed into the initial commit.
  * For example, a MR introducing a new docs chapter and also adding, as a
    separate commit, some typo fixes. The latter commits should be squashed into
    the initial commit.
  * There is a small set of exceptions to this rule. All these exceptions
    gravitate around the case where an MR, even if it provides multiple commits
    in the same scope (for example, to the same build recipe), each of the
    commits has a very specific purpose.

    * For example, a line formating change followed by a chapter addition
      change in the same documentation file.
    * Also, it can be the case of two functional changes that are building
      blocks in the same scope.
    * Another example where commits are not to be squashed is when having a
      commit moving the code and a commit modifying the code in the new
      location.

* Make sure you clean your code of trailing white spaces/tabs and that each
  file ends with a new line.

* Avoid *merge* commits as part of your MR. Your commits should be rebased on
  top of the *HEAD* of the destination branch.

As mentioned above, *git log* becomes informally part of the documentation of
the product. Maintaining consistency in its format and content improves
debugging, auditing, and general code browsing. To achieve this, we also require
the following commit message guidelines:

* The *subject* line (the first line) needs to have the following format:
  ``scope: Title limited to 80 characters``.

  * Use the imperative mood in the *subject* line for the *title*.
  * The *scope* prefix (including the colon and the following whitespace) is
    optional but most of the time highly recommended. For example, fixing an
    issue for a specific build recipe, would use the recipe name as the
    *scope*.
  * The *title* (the part after the *scope*) starts with a capital letter.
  * The entire *subject* line shouldn't exceed 80 characters (same text
    wrapping rule for the commit body).

* The commit *body* separated by an empty line from the *subject* line.

  * The commit *body* is optional but highly recommended. Provide a clear,
    descriptive text block that accounts for all the changes introduced by a
    specific commit.
  * The commit *body* must not contain more than 80 characters per line.

* The commit message will have the commit message *trailers* separated by a new
  line from the *body*.

  * Each commit requires at least a *Signed-off-by* trailer line. See more as
    part of the :doc:`/contributing/dco` document.
  * All *trailer* lines are to be provided as part of the same text block - no
    empty lines in between the *trailers*.

Additional commit message notes:

* Avoid using special characters anywhere in the commit message.
* Be succinct but descriptive.
* Have at least one *trailer* as part of each commit: *Signed-off-by*.
* You can automatically let ``git`` add the *Signed-off-by* by taking advantage
  of its ``-s`` argument.
* Whenever in doubt, check the existing log on the file (``<FILE>``) you are
  about to commit changes, using something similar to: ``git log <FILE>``.

Example of a full git message:

.. code-block:: text

   busybox: Add missing dependency on virtual/crypt

   Since version 1.29.2, the busybox package requires virtual/crypt. Add this
   to DEPENDS to make sure the build dependency is satisfied.

   Signed-off-by: Joe Developer <joe.developer@example.com>

Contributions to Documentation
******************************

In |main_project_name|, the documentation usually stays with the respective code
repositories. This means that contributing to documentation is not in any way
different than contributing to code. The processes, contribution guidelines are
to remain the same. The only difference is that documentation files are to be
released under ``Creative Commons License version 4.0``.

Documentation that doesn't link directly to one specific repository, is
available in the `docs repository <https://git.ostc-eu.org/OSTC/OHOS/docs>`_.

In terms of file format, the project unifies its documentation as
``ReStructuredText`` files. A RestructuredText primer is available as part of
the Sphinx `documentation <https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/restructuredtext/basics.html>`_.

As a rule of thumb, anything that ends up compiled in the project documentation
is to maintain the RestructuredText file format. Text files that are not meant to be compiled
as part of the project's documentation can be written in `Markdown <https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/>`_.
For example, a repository ``README`` file can be written in Markdown as it
doesn't end up compiled in the project-wide documentation.