110 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
110 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
type: reference, dev
|
|
info: For assistance with this Style Guide page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments-to-other-projects-and-subjects.
|
|
description: "GitLab development - how to document features deployed behind feature flags"
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
# Document features deployed behind feature flags
|
|
|
|
GitLab uses [feature flags](../feature_flags/index.md) to strategically roll
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
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).
|
|
|
|
When you document feature flags, you must:
|
|
|
|
- [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).
|
|
|
|
## Use a note to describe the state of the feature flag
|
|
|
|
Information about feature flags should be in a **Note** at the start of the topic (just below the version history).
|
|
|
|
The note has three parts, and follows this structure:
|
|
|
|
```markdown
|
|
FLAG:
|
|
<Self-managed GitLab availability information.> <GitLab.com availability information.>
|
|
<This feature is not ready for production use.>
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
### Self-managed GitLab availability information
|
|
|
|
| If the feature is... | Use this text |
|
|
|--------------------------|---------------|
|
|
| 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>.` |
|
|
|
|
### GitLab.com availability information
|
|
|
|
| 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.`|
|
|
|
|
### Optional information
|
|
|
|
If needed, you can add this sentence:
|
|
|
|
`You should not use this feature for production environments.`
|
|
|
|
## Add version history text
|
|
|
|
When the state of a flag changes (for example, disabled by default to enabled by default), add the change to the version history.
|
|
|
|
Possible version history entries are:
|
|
|
|
```markdown
|
|
> - [Introduced](issue-link) in GitLab X.X [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named <flag name>. Disabled by default.
|
|
> - [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.
|
|
> - [Feature flag <flag name> removed](issue-link) in GitLab X.X.
|
|
> - [Generally available](issue-link) in GitLab X.X.
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
## Feature flag documentation examples
|
|
|
|
The following examples show the progression of a feature flag.
|
|
|
|
```markdown
|
|
> Introduced in GitLab 13.7 [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `forti_token_cloud`. Disabled by default.
|
|
|
|
FLAG:
|
|
On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is not available. To make it available,
|
|
ask an administrator to [enable the featured flag](../administration/feature_flags.md) named `forti_token_cloud`.
|
|
The feature is not ready for production use.
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
When the feature is enabled in production, you can update the version history:
|
|
|
|
```markdown
|
|
> - Introduced in GitLab 13.7 [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `forti_token_cloud`. Disabled by default.
|
|
> - [Enabled on self-managed](https://gitlab.com/issue/etc) GitLab 13.8.
|
|
|
|
FLAG:
|
|
On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is available. To hide the feature per user,
|
|
ask an administrator to [disable the feature flag](../administration/feature_flags.md) named `forti_token_cloud`.
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
And, when the feature is done and fully available to all users:
|
|
|
|
```markdown
|
|
> - Introduced in GitLab 13.7 [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `forti_token_cloud`. Disabled by default.
|
|
> - [Enabled on self-managed](https://gitlab.com/issue/etc) GitLab 13.8.
|
|
> - [Enabled on GitLab.com](https://gitlab.com/issue/etc) in GitLab 13.9.
|
|
> - [Feature flag removed](https://gitlab.com/issue/etc) in GitLab 14.0.
|
|
> - [Generally available](issue-link) in GitLab 14.0.
|
|
```
|