2023-05-25-template-repository

Template and .github Repositories

Decision

Two new repositories will be created within the EDC GitHub organization:

• .github repository for common files that are the same for all components,
• dedicated template repositories for files that must be adapted/modified by each component.

Rationale

Currently, general documents like the pr_etiquette.md or CONTRIBUTING.md are located in the Connector repository, although they apply to all repositories in the scope of the EDC project. In addition, resources like style files or issue/pr templates are duplicated across repositories and, with this, are not up-to-date, as most of the changes to those documents are made in the Connector repo and are not replicated across the other component repos.

The reasoning for moving these documents out to separate repositories is as follows:

• simplify maintenance of files
• facilitate the onboarding for new community members
• improve automation of GitHub processes
• harmonize creation process of new EDC repositories

Approach

At the time of this writing, two repositories can be identified:

• .github
• template-basic

We need to identify "common" and "repository-specific" documents. In addition, we need to test how the .github repo and the repositories' .github folders relate to each other.

Common documents

Suggested structure for .github repository:

• .github/:
  • ISSUE_TEMPLATE and PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
  • generic workflows, e.g.
    • scan-pull-request.yaml,
    • first-interaction.yml,
    • close-inactive-issues.yml
    • release-<COMPONENT>.yml
    • ...
• contributing/:
  • CONTRIBUTING.md
  • contribution_categories.md
  • known_friends.md
  • pr_etiquette.md
  • styleguide.md
  • ...
• docs/: same as for every repo
  • developer/: generic documentation files from docs/developer
    • decision-records/: those that cover the EDC project from docs/developer/decision-records
  • legal/: files from docs/legal
  • templates/: files from docs/templates
  • ...
• profile/README.md: provide a welcome page
• resources/: move files like edc-checkstyle-config.xml
• README.md
• ...

Impacts on component repositories:

• remove generic workflow files
• remove listed contributing files
• remove decision records that affect the general EDC project, e.g., org-wide release process
• remove generic resources
• keep component-specific decision records in component repositories

Repository-specific documents

Suggested basic structure for new repositories:

• .github/: e.g., dependabot.yml (to be identified, as mentioned above)
• docs/developer/decision-records/README.md (empty list)
• .gitattributes
• .gitignore (empty)
• CODEOWNERS (empty list)
• LICENSE
• NOTICE.md (empty list)

Further Considerations

Repositories that could be identified in the future:

• template-gradle

With additional files (matching Java/Gradle)

• gradle/
• build.gradle.kts
• gradle.properties
• gradlew
• gradlew.bat
• settings.gradle.kts