The derby/code/trunk/STATUS file is optional

["Jean T. Anderson" <jt...@bristowhill.com>]

The incubator is cleaning up web site documentation.  One bit of 
information that emerged is a STATUS file is not required. A podling 
status on the incubator site *is* required -- and for a while there was 
some confusion about what to have and where. Here's the most succinct post:

http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/incubator-general/200512.mbox/%3c43AC9365.7080502@roguewave.com%3e

At any rate, Derby can certainly have a STATUS file (and some ASF 
projects do), but I wanted to mention that is isn't required. There 
might be better ways to track and publish project status.

-jean

Re: The derby/code/trunk/STATUS file is optional

["Jean T. Anderson" <jt...@bristowhill.com>]

Andrew McIntyre wrote:
> On 1/4/06, Jean T. Anderson <jt...@bristowhill.com> wrote:
> 
>>At any rate, Derby can certainly have a STATUS file (and some ASF
>>projects do), but I wanted to mention that is isn't required. There
>>might be better ways to track and publish project status.
> 
> 
> The DB project guidelines state that the projects should keep release
> plans and decisions made in a status file:
> 
> http://db.apache.org/decisions.html
> 
> But maybe that page is out of date?

I think that's an exhortation to maintain a status somewhere -- not 
necessarily in a flat file in the source code tree named "status" or 
"STATUS".

Since Derby has a STATUS file in every code branch, we don't really have 
a single go-to spot that tracks status for the project as a whole.

Torque and OJB maintain status in a web page:

    http://db.apache.org/torque/status.html
    http://db.apache.org/ojb/status.html

I think each project can decide itself how to maintain status.

If we want to put one on the derby web site like Torque and OJB do, I'd 
recommend simple html format so that all committers can easily update it.

    -jean

Re: The derby/code/trunk/STATUS file is optional

[Andrew McIntyre <mc...@gmail.com>]

On 1/4/06, Jean T. Anderson <jt...@bristowhill.com> wrote:
> At any rate, Derby can certainly have a STATUS file (and some ASF
> projects do), but I wanted to mention that is isn't required. There
> might be better ways to track and publish project status.

The DB project guidelines state that the projects should keep release
plans and decisions made in a status file:

http://db.apache.org/decisions.html

But maybe that page is out of date?

andrew

Re: The derby/code/trunk/STATUS file is optional

["Jean T. Anderson" <jt...@bristowhill.com>]

Rick Hillegas wrote:
> Hi Jean,
> 
> Thanks for researching this. I have to admit that a flat STATUS file 
> seems like a fairly inexpressive way to track important facts. I'd vote 
> for some subversion-controlled webpages linked from the top level 
> website.(just as 
> http://db.apache.org/derby/derby_downloads.html#How+to+build+Derby links 
> to BUILDING.txt).

I should point out that derby_downloads.html links to 
code/trunk/BUILDING.txt -- and that currently there is a BUILDING.txt in 
every branch.

Just *one* file should describe status. There's really no reason it 
couldn't even be a flat text or html file in the main derby directory in 
svn (I see some ASF projects put readme files and the like at that level).

If it's outside the derby/site directory then every committer would be 
able to update it without any knowledge of how to build the derby web 
site with forrest, and there would be no publish step on people.apache.org.

If we want an approach more integrated with the web site, like OJB ( 
http://db.apache.org/ojb/status.html ) and Torque ( 
http://db.apache.org/torque/status.html ), then we would need to include 
the page in derby/site. We could still keep the format in simple html so 
any committer could commit changes, then let those who know how to build 
the site publish the change.

> While I'm on the topic, I also have to admit that the shifting contents 
> of the STATUS file confuse me. For example, at one point, I thought that 
> STATUS was supposed to track all the votes we've taken--but now I see 
> that STATUS only tracks recent votes.

Probably the confusion was a side effect of derby muddling its way 
through incubation with two forms of tracking status. :-)

  -jean

Re: The derby/code/trunk/STATUS file is optional

[Rick Hillegas <Ri...@Sun.COM>]

Hi Jean,

Thanks for researching this. I have to admit that a flat STATUS file 
seems like a fairly inexpressive way to track important facts. I'd vote 
for some subversion-controlled webpages linked from the top level 
website.(just as 
http://db.apache.org/derby/derby_downloads.html#How+to+build+Derby links 
to BUILDING.txt).

While I'm on the topic, I also have to admit that the shifting contents 
of the STATUS file confuse me. For example, at one point, I thought that 
STATUS was supposed to track all the votes we've taken--but now I see 
that STATUS only tracks recent votes.

Muddled as usual,
-Rick

Jean T. Anderson wrote:

> The incubator is cleaning up web site documentation.  One bit of 
> information that emerged is a STATUS file is not required. A podling 
> status on the incubator site *is* required -- and for a while there 
> was some confusion about what to have and where. Here's the most 
> succinct post:
>
> http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/incubator-general/200512.mbox/%3c43AC9365.7080502@roguewave.com%3e 
>
>
> At any rate, Derby can certainly have a STATUS file (and some ASF 
> projects do), but I wanted to mention that is isn't required. There 
> might be better ways to track and publish project status.
>
> -jean