1 This file documents various "processes" that are used by Valgrind 2 developers for development and release activities. 3 This file contains one section for each process. 4 A summary of each process is given here. Each process is described 5 more in details afterwards. 6 7 8 * Update of the NEWS file: NEWS describes fixed bugs and new features. 9 It is updated and committed together with the code fixing the bug/implementing 10 the feature. 11 12 * Major release production: 13 See docs/internals/release-HOWTO.txt (currently a bit out of date) 14 15 * Minor/correction release production: TBD 16 17 18 Processes detailed descriptions: 19 20 Update of the NEWS file. 21 ======================== 22 The NEWS file gives for each release: 23 - the list of fixed bugs, 24 - a short description of each functional change, 25 - a short description of each technical change impacting the users. 26 27 The update of the NEWS file should be committed together with the 28 code change (or as part of the last committed change) that fixes the 29 bug or implements the new feature/technical change. 30 The documentation (e.g. user manual) should also be committed as part of 31 the code change. 32 33 Fixing a bug 34 ------------ 35 When fixing a bug, add a line in the 'FIXED BUGS' section of 36 the NEWS file. Keep the list of bugs sorted by bugzilla entry number. 37 38 Once you have commit the change, update the bug status in bugzilla, 39 adding in the comment the revision number of the commit fixing the bug. 40 41 If a bug is not entered in bugzilla (not encouraged), use "n-i-bz" 42 and add the bug line at the end of the bug list. 43 44 The file docs/internals/X_Y_BUGSTATUS.txt (where X_Y is the last 45 major release e.g. 3_9) contains information/statuses for some bugs. 46 If a bug is fixed, remove the (possible) bug info from this file. 47 48 Implementing a change 49 --------------------- 50 When implementing a functional or 'user impacting' technical change, 51 add a short description of the change in the relevant sub-section 52 (e.g. TOOL CHANGES, PLATFORM CHANGES, ...). 53 54 55 Some special cases: 56 ------------------- 57 Some bugs or changes only touch the VEX SVN repository, so it is not 58 possible to commit the NEWS change together with the code changes. 59 In such a case, first commit the VEX change. Then just after, commit 60 the NEWS change. In the bugzilla status, reference (at least) the Valgrind 61 revision number. 62 63 Some changes or bug fixes are very big and might be implemented over 64 a significant period. In such a case, update the NEWS as part of the 65 final commit. 66 If relevant, you might already update the NEWS file as part of 67 earlier commits, using the word 'PARTIAL' to indicate that the change or 68 bug fix is not complete yet. 69 70 Some bugs are reported more than once in bugzilla. 71 Also document in NEWS that such duplicated bugs have been fixed, using a line 72 such as: 73 308333 == 307106 74 to indicate that the bug 308333 is a duplicate of 307106, and was thus 75 fixed in the commit that fixed 307106. 76 Change also the status of the duplicated bug in bugzilla, 77 indicating in the comment the commit revision that fixed the 'master bug'. 78 79 80 81 Minor/correction release: 82 ========================= 83 Describe here how to do changes and bug fixed in a minor (correction) release 84 and how/when to merge the branch to the trunk. 85 86 Proposal to be discussed: 87 When a bug is fixed on the branch, the NEWS file is updated on the branch 88 (i.e. a 3.9.1 section is created if needed). 89 90 When often to merge the branch to trunk ? 91 after each fix ? 92 just after the correction release is produced ? 93 94 How is the branch merged to the trunk ? 95
