303 lines
18 KiB
Markdown
303 lines
18 KiB
Markdown
---
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type: reference, dev
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stage: none
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group: Development
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info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
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---
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# Merge requests workflow
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We welcome merge requests from everyone, with fixes and improvements
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to GitLab code, tests, and documentation. The issues that are specifically suitable
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for community contributions are listed with the [`Accepting merge requests`](issue_workflow.md#label-for-community-contributors)
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label, but you are free to contribute to any issue you want.
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If an issue is marked for the current milestone at any time, even
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when you are working on it, a GitLab Inc. team member may take over the merge request
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in order to ensure the work is finished before the release date.
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If you want to add a new feature that is not labeled, it is best to first create
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an issue (if there isn't one already) and leave a comment asking for it
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to be marked as `Accepting Merge Requests`. Please include screenshots or
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wireframes of the proposed feature if it will also change the UI.
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Merge requests should be submitted to the appropriate project at GitLab.com, for example
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[GitLab](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests),
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[GitLab Runner](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/-/merge_requests), or
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[Omnibus GitLab](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/omnibus-gitlab/-/merge_requests).
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If you are new to GitLab development (or web development in general), see the
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[how to contribute](index.md#how-to-contribute) section to get started with
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some potentially easy issues.
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To start developing GitLab, download the [GitLab Development Kit](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-development-kit)
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and see the [Development section](../../index.md) for the required guidelines.
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## Merge request guidelines
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If you find an issue, please submit a merge request with a fix or improvement, if
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you can, and include tests. If you don't know how to fix the issue but can write a test
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that exposes the issue, we will accept that as well. In general, bug fixes that
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include a regression test are merged quickly, while new features without proper
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tests might be slower to receive feedback. The workflow to make a merge
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request is as follows:
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1. [Fork](../../user/project/repository/forking_workflow.md) the project into
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your personal namespace (or group) on GitLab.com.
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1. Create a feature branch in your fork (don't work off your [default branch](../../user/project/repository/branches/default.md)).
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1. Write [tests](../rake_tasks.md#run-tests) and code.
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1. [Ensure a changelog is created](../changelog.md).
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1. If you are writing documentation, make sure to follow the
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[documentation guidelines](../documentation/index.md).
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1. Follow the [commit messages guidelines](#commit-messages-guidelines).
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1. If you have multiple commits, combine them into a few logically organized
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commits by [squashing them](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Tools-Rewriting-History#_squashing),
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but do not change the commit history if you're working on shared branches though.
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1. Push the commit(s) to your working branch in your fork.
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1. Submit a merge request (MR) to the `main` branch in the main GitLab project.
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1. Your merge request needs at least 1 approval, but depending on your changes
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you might need additional approvals. Refer to the [Approval guidelines](../code_review.md#approval-guidelines).
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1. You don't have to select any specific approvers, but you can if you really want
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specific people to approve your merge request.
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1. The MR title should describe the change you want to make.
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1. The MR description should give a reason for your change.
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1. If you are contributing code, fill in the description according to the default
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template already provided in the "Description" field.
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1. If you are contributing documentation, choose `Documentation` from the
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"Choose a template" menu and fill in the description according to the template.
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1. Use the syntax `Solves #XXX`, `Closes #XXX`, or `Refs #XXX` to mention the issue(s) your merge
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request addresses. Referenced issues do not [close automatically](../../user/project/issues/managing_issues.md#closing-issues-automatically).
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You must close them manually once the merge request is merged.
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1. The MR must include *Before* and *After* screenshots if UI changes are made.
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1. Include any steps or setup required to ensure reviewers can view the changes you've made (for example, include any information about feature flags).
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1. If you're allowed to, set a relevant milestone and [labels](issue_workflow.md).
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1. UI changes should use available components from the GitLab Design System,
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[Pajamas](https://design.gitlab.com/).
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1. If the MR changes CSS classes, please include the list of affected pages, which
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can be found by running `grep css-class ./app -R`.
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1. If your MR touches code that executes shell commands, reads or opens files, or
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handles paths to files on disk, make sure it adheres to the
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[shell command guidelines](../shell_commands.md)
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1. If your code needs to handle file storage, see the [uploads documentation](../uploads.md).
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1. If your merge request adds one or more migrations, make sure to execute all
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migrations on a fresh database before the MR is reviewed. If the review leads
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to large changes in the MR, execute the migrations again once the review is complete.
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1. Write tests for more complex migrations.
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1. Merge requests **must** adhere to the [merge request performance guidelines](../merge_request_performance_guidelines.md).
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1. For tests that use Capybara, read
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[how to write reliable, asynchronous integration tests](https://thoughtbot.com/blog/write-reliable-asynchronous-integration-tests-with-capybara).
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1. If your merge request introduces changes that require additional steps when
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installing GitLab from source, add them to `doc/install/installation.md` in
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the same merge request.
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1. If your merge request introduces changes that require additional steps when
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upgrading GitLab from source, add them to
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`doc/update/upgrading_from_source.md` in the same merge request. If these
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instructions are specific to a version, add them to the "Version specific
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upgrading instructions" section.
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1. Read and adhere to
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[The responsibility of the merge request author](../code_review.md#the-responsibility-of-the-merge-request-author).
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1. Read and follow
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[Having your merge request reviewed](../code_review.md#having-your-merge-request-reviewed).
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If you would like quick feedback on your merge request feel free to mention someone
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from the [core team](https://about.gitlab.com/community/core-team/) or one of the
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[merge request coaches](https://about.gitlab.com/company/team/). When having your code reviewed
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and when reviewing merge requests, please keep the [code review guidelines](../code_review.md)
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in mind. And if your code also makes changes to the database, or does expensive queries,
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check the [database review guidelines](../database_review.md).
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### Keep it simple
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*Live by smaller iterations.* Please keep the amount of changes in a single MR **as small as possible**.
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If you want to contribute a large feature, think very carefully about what the
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[minimum viable change](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/#the-minimally-viable-change)
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is. Can you split the functionality into two smaller MRs? Can you submit only the
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backend/API code? Can you start with a very simple UI? Can you do just a part of the
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refactor?
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Small MRs which are more easily reviewed, lead to higher code quality which is
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more important to GitLab than having a minimal commit log. The smaller an MR is,
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the more likely it will be merged quickly. After that you can send more MRs to
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enhance and expand the feature. The [How to get faster PR reviews](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/blob/release-1.5/docs/devel/faster_reviews.md)
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document from the Kubernetes team also has some great points regarding this.
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### Commit messages guidelines
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Commit messages should follow the guidelines below, for reasons explained by Chris Beams in [How to Write a Git Commit Message](https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/):
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- The commit subject and body must be separated by a blank line.
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- The commit subject must start with a capital letter.
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- The commit subject must not be longer than 72 characters.
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- The commit subject must not end with a period.
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- The commit body must not contain more than 72 characters per line.
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- The commit subject or body must not contain Emojis.
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- Commits that change 30 or more lines across at least 3 files should
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describe these changes in the commit body.
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- Use issues and merge requests' full URLs instead of short references,
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as they are displayed as plain text outside of GitLab.
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- The merge request should not contain more than 10 commit messages.
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- The commit subject should contain at least 3 words.
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**Important notes:**
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- If the guidelines are not met, the MR may not pass the [Danger checks](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/danger/commit_messages/Dangerfile).
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- Consider enabling [Squash and merge](../../user/project/merge_requests/squash_and_merge.md#squash-and-merge)
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if your merge request includes "Applied suggestion to X files" commits, so that Danger can ignore those.
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- The prefixes in the form of `[prefix]` and `prefix:` are allowed (they can be all lowercase, as long
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as the message itself is capitalized). For instance, `danger: Improve Danger behavior` and
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`[API] Improve the labels endpoint` are valid commit messages.
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#### Why these standards matter
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1. Consistent commit messages that follow these guidelines make the history more readable.
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1. Concise standard commit messages helps to identify [breaking changes](index.md#breaking-changes) for a deployment or ~"master:broken" quicker when
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reviewing commits between two points in time.
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#### Commit message template
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Example commit message template that can be used on your machine that embodies the above (guide for [how to apply template](https://codeinthehole.com/tips/a-useful-template-for-commit-messages/)):
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```plaintext
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# (If applied, this commit will...) <subject> (Max 72 characters)
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# |<---- Using a Maximum Of 72 Characters ---->|
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# Explain why this change is being made
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# |<---- Try To Limit Each Line to a Maximum Of 72 Characters ---->|
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# Provide links or keys to any relevant tickets, articles or other resources
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# Use issues and merge requests' full URLs instead of short references,
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# as they are displayed as plain text outside of GitLab
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# --- COMMIT END ---
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# --------------------
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# Remember to
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# Capitalize the subject line
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# Use the imperative mood in the subject line
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# Do not end the subject line with a period
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# Subject must contain at least 3 words
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# Separate subject from body with a blank line
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# Commits that change 30 or more lines across at least 3 files should
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# describe these changes in the commit body
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# Do not use Emojis
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# Use the body to explain what and why vs. how
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# Can use multiple lines with "-" for bullet points in body
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# For more information: https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/
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# --------------------
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```
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## Contribution acceptance criteria
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To make sure that your merge request can be approved, please ensure that it meets
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the contribution acceptance criteria below:
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1. The change is as small as possible.
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1. Include proper tests and make all tests pass (unless it contains a test
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exposing a bug in existing code). Every new class should have corresponding
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unit tests, even if the class is exercised at a higher level, such as a feature test.
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- If a failing CI build seems to be unrelated to your contribution, you can try
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restarting the failing CI job, rebasing from `main` to bring in updates that
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may resolve the failure, or if it has not been fixed yet, ask a developer to
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help you fix the test.
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1. The MR initially contains a few logically organized commits.
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1. The changes can merge without problems. If not, you should rebase if you're the
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only one working on your feature branch, otherwise merge `main`.
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1. Only one specific issue is fixed or one specific feature is implemented. Do not
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combine things; send separate merge requests for each issue or feature.
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1. Migrations should do only one thing (for example, create a table, move data to a new
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table, or remove an old table) to aid retrying on failure.
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1. Contains functionality that other users will benefit from.
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1. Doesn't add configuration options or settings options since they complicate making
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and testing future changes.
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1. Changes do not degrade performance:
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- Avoid repeated polling of endpoints that require a significant amount of overhead.
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- Check for N+1 queries via the SQL log or [`QueryRecorder`](../merge_request_performance_guidelines.md).
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- Avoid repeated access of the file system.
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- Use [polling with ETag caching](../polling.md) if needed to support real-time features.
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1. If the merge request adds any new libraries (like gems or JavaScript libraries),
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they should conform to our [Licensing guidelines](../licensing.md). See those
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instructions for help if the "license-finder" test fails with a
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`Dependencies that need approval` error. Also, make the reviewer aware of the new
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library and explain why you need it.
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1. The merge request meets the GitLab [definition of done](#definition-of-done), below.
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## Definition of done
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If you contribute to GitLab, please know that changes involve more than just
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code. We use the following [definition of done](https://www.agilealliance.org/glossary/definition-of-done).
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To reach the definition of done, the merge request must create no regressions and meet all these criteria:
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- Verified as working in production on GitLab.com.
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- Verified as working for self-managed instances.
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If a regression occurs, we prefer you revert the change. We break the definition of done into two phases: [MR Merge](#mr-merge) and [Production use](#production-use).
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Your contribution is *incomplete* until you have made sure it meets all of these
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requirements.
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### MR Merge
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1. Clear description explaining the relevancy of the contribution.
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1. Working and clean code that is commented where needed.
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1. [Unit, integration, and system tests](../testing_guide/index.md) that all pass
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on the CI server.
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1. Regressions and bugs are covered with tests that reduce the risk of the issue happening
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again.
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1. [Performance guidelines](../merge_request_performance_guidelines.md) have been followed.
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1. [Secure coding guidelines](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/gl-security/security-guidelines) have been followed.
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1. [Documented](../documentation/index.md) in the `/doc` directory.
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1. [Changelog entry added](../changelog.md), if necessary.
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1. Reviewed by relevant reviewers, and all concerns are addressed for Availability, Regressions, and Security. Documentation reviews should take place as soon as possible, but they should not block a merge request.
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1. The [MR acceptance checklist](../code_review.md#acceptance-checklist) has been checked as confirmed in the MR.
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1. Create an issue in the [infrastructure issue tracker](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/gl-infra/infrastructure/-/issues) to inform the Infrastructure department when your contribution is changing default settings or introduces a new setting, if relevant.
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1. [Black-box tests/end-to-end tests](../testing_guide/testing_levels.md#black-box-tests-at-the-system-level-aka-end-to-end-tests)
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added if required. Please contact [the quality team](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/quality/#teams)
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with any questions.
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1. The change is tested in a review app where possible and if appropriate.
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1. The new feature does not degrade the user experience of the product.
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1. The change is evaluated to [limit the impact of far-reaching work](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/development/#reducing-the-impact-of-far-reaching-work).
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1. An agreed-upon rollout plan.
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1. Merged by a project maintainer.
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### Production use
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1. Confirmed to be working in staging before implementing the change in production, where possible.
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1. Confirmed to be working in the production with no new [Sentry](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/#sentry) errors after the contribution is deployed.
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1. Confirmed that the rollout plan has been completed.
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1. If there is a performance risk in the change, I have analyzed the performance of the system before and after the change.
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1. *If the merge request uses feature flags, per-project or per-group enablement, and a staged rollout:*
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- Confirmed to be working on GitLab projects.
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- Confirmed to be working at each stage for all projects added.
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1. Added to the [release post](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/blog/release-posts/),
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if relevant.
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1. Added to [the website](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/blob/master/data/features.yml), if relevant.
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Contributions do not require approval from the [Product team](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/product-processes/#gitlab-pms-arent-the-arbiters-of-community-contributions).
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## Dependencies
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If you add a dependency in GitLab (such as an operating system package) please
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consider updating the following, and note the applicability of each in your merge
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request:
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1. Note the addition in the [release blog post](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/blog/release-posts/)
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(create one if it doesn't exist yet).
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1. [The upgrade guide](../../update/upgrading_from_source.md).
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1. The [GitLab Installation Guide](../../install/installation.md#1-packages-and-dependencies).
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1. The [GitLab Development Kit](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-development-kit).
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1. The [CI environment preparation](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/scripts/prepare_build.sh).
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1. The [Omnibus package creator](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/omnibus-gitlab).
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1. The [Cloud Native GitLab Dockerfiles](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/build/CNG)
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## Incremental improvements
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We allow engineering time to fix small problems (with or without an
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issue) that are incremental improvements, such as:
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1. Unprioritized bug fixes (for example, [Banner alerting of project move is
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showing up everywhere](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/18985))
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1. Documentation improvements
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1. Rubocop or Code Quality improvements
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Tag a merge request with ~"Stuff that should Just Work" to track work in
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this area.
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