debian-mirror-gitlab/doc/development/documentation/feature_flags.md

117 lines
6.5 KiB
Markdown
Raw Normal View History

2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
---
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
info: For assistance with this Style Guide page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments-to-other-projects-and-subjects.
2022-03-02 08:16:31 +05:30
stage: none
group: unassigned
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
description: "GitLab development - how to document features deployed behind feature flags"
---
# Document features deployed behind feature flags
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
GitLab uses [feature flags](../feature_flags/index.md) to strategically roll
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
out the deployment of its own features. The way we document a feature behind a
feature flag depends on its state (enabled or disabled). When the state
changes, the developer who made the change **must update the documentation**
accordingly.
2021-04-17 20:07:23 +05:30
Every feature introduced to the codebase, even if it's behind a feature flag,
must be documented. For context, see the
[latest merge request that updated this guideline](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/47917#note_459984428).
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
When you document feature flags, you must:
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
- [Add a note at the start of the topic](#use-a-note-to-describe-the-state-of-the-feature-flag).
- [Add version history text](#add-version-history-text).
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
## Use a note to describe the state of the feature flag
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
Information about feature flags should be in a **Note** at the start of the topic (just below the version history).
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
The note has three parts, and follows this structure:
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
```markdown
FLAG:
<Self-managed GitLab availability information.> <GitLab.com availability information.>
<This feature is not ready for production use.>
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
```
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
### Self-managed GitLab availability information
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
| If the feature is... | Use this text |
|--------------------------|---------------|
2021-11-18 22:05:49 +05:30
| Available | `On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is available. To hide the feature, ask an administrator to [disable the feature flag](<path to>/administration/feature_flags.md) named <flag name>.` |
| Unavailable | `On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is not available. To make it available, ask an administrator to [enable the feature flag](<path to>/administration/feature_flags.md) named <flag name>.` |
| Available, per-group | `On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is available. To hide the feature per group, ask an administrator to [disable the feature flag](<path to>/administration/feature_flags.md) named <flag name>.` |
| Unavailable, per-group | `On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is not available. To make it available per group, ask an administrator to [enable the feature flag](<path to>/administration/feature_flags.md) named <flag name>.` |
| Available, per-project | `On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is available. To hide the feature per project or for your entire instance, ask an administrator to [disable the feature flag](<path to>/administration/feature_flags.md) named <flag name>.` |
| Unavailable, per-project | `On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is not available. To make it available per project or for your entire instance, ask an administrator to [enable the feature flag](<path to>/administration/feature_flags.md) named <flag name>.` |
| Available, per-user | `On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is available. To hide the feature per user, ask an administrator to [disable the feature flag](<path to>/administration/feature_flags.md) named <flag name>.` |
| Unavailable, per-user | `On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is not available. To make it available per user, ask an administrator to [enable the feature flag](<path to>/administration/feature_flags.md) named <flag name>.` |
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
### GitLab.com availability information
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
| If the feature is... | Use this text |
|-------------------------------------|---------------|
| Available | `On GitLab.com, this feature is available.` |
| Available to GitLab.com admins only | `On GitLab.com, this feature is available but can be configured by GitLab.com administrators only.`
| Unavailable | `On GitLab.com, this feature is not available.`|
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
### Optional information
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
If needed, you can add this sentence:
2020-11-24 15:15:51 +05:30
2022-01-26 12:08:38 +05:30
`The feature is not ready for production use.`
2020-11-24 15:15:51 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
## Add version history text
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
When the state of a flag changes (for example, disabled by default to enabled by default), add the change to the version history.
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
Possible version history entries are:
2020-11-24 15:15:51 +05:30
```markdown
2021-11-18 22:05:49 +05:30
> - [Introduced](issue-link) in GitLab X.X [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named <flag name>. Disabled by default.
2021-11-11 11:23:49 +05:30
> - [Enabled on GitLab.com](issue-link) in GitLab X.X.
> - [Enabled on GitLab.com](issue-link) in GitLab X.X. Available to GitLab.com administrators only.
> - [Enabled on self-managed](issue-link) in GitLab X.X.
2021-12-11 22:18:48 +05:30
> - [Generally available](issue-link) in GitLab X.Y. [Feature flag <flag name>](issue-link) removed.
```
You can combine entries if they happened in the same release:
```markdown
> - Introduced in GitLab 14.2 [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `ci_include_rules`. Disabled by default.
> - [Enabled on GitLab.com and self-managed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/337507) in GitLab 14.3.
2020-11-24 15:15:51 +05:30
```
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
## Feature flag documentation examples
2020-11-24 15:15:51 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
The following examples show the progression of a feature flag.
2020-11-24 15:15:51 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
```markdown
2021-11-18 22:05:49 +05:30
> Introduced in GitLab 13.7 [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `forti_token_cloud`. Disabled by default.
2020-11-24 15:15:51 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
FLAG:
On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is not available. To make it available,
2021-12-11 22:18:48 +05:30
ask an administrator to [enable the feature flag](../administration/feature_flags.md) named `forti_token_cloud`.
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
The feature is not ready for production use.
2020-11-24 15:15:51 +05:30
```
2021-11-11 11:23:49 +05:30
When the feature is enabled in production, you can update the version history:
2020-11-24 15:15:51 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
```markdown
2021-11-18 22:05:49 +05:30
> - Introduced in GitLab 13.7 [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `forti_token_cloud`. Disabled by default.
2021-11-11 11:23:49 +05:30
> - [Enabled on self-managed](https://gitlab.com/issue/etc) GitLab 13.8.
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
FLAG:
On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is available. To hide the feature per user,
2021-11-18 22:05:49 +05:30
ask an administrator to [disable the feature flag](../administration/feature_flags.md) named `forti_token_cloud`.
2020-11-24 15:15:51 +05:30
```
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
And, when the feature is done and fully available to all users:
2020-11-24 15:15:51 +05:30
2021-10-27 15:23:28 +05:30
```markdown
2021-11-18 22:05:49 +05:30
> - Introduced in GitLab 13.7 [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `forti_token_cloud`. Disabled by default.
2022-01-26 12:08:38 +05:30
> - [Enabled on self-managed](https://gitlab.com/issue/etc) in GitLab 13.8.
2021-11-11 11:23:49 +05:30
> - [Enabled on GitLab.com](https://gitlab.com/issue/etc) in GitLab 13.9.
2021-12-11 22:18:48 +05:30
> - [Generally available](issue-link) in GitLab 14.0. [Feature flag <flag name>](issue-link) removed.
2020-05-24 23:13:21 +05:30
```