@menu
* Help us::
* Overview of work flow::
+* Summary for experienced developers::
* Mentors::
@end menu
@helpusNeed
-@helpusTasks
+@helpusSimple
-@helpusProjects
+@helpusAdvanced
@node Overview of work flow
@section Overview of work flow
-@cartouche
-@strong{Short summary for Unix developers}: source code is at
-@uref{git://git.sv.gnu.org/lilypond.git}. Documentation is built
-with Texinfo, after pre-processing with @code{lilypond-book}.
-Send well-formed patches to @email{lilypond-devel@@gnu.org}.
-@end cartouche
+@advanced{Experienced developers should skip to
+@ref{Summary for experienced developers}.}
Git is a @emph{version control system} that tracks the history of
a program's source code. The LilyPond source code is maintained
The @q{official} LilyPond Git repository is hosted by the GNU
Savannah software forge at @uref{http://git.sv.gnu.org}.
-Although, since Git uses a @emph{distributed} model, technically
-there is no central repository. Instead, each contributor keeps a
-complete copy of the entire repository (about 116MB).
Changes made within one contributor's copy of the repository can
be shared with other contributors using @emph{patches}. A patch
-is a simple text file generated by the @command{git} program that
-indicates what changes have been made (using a special format).
+is a text file that indicates what changes have been made.
If a contributor's patch is approved for inclusion (usually
through the mailing list), someone on the current development team
will @emph{push} the patch to the official repository.
The Savannah software forge provides two separate interfaces for
-viewing the LilyPond Git repository online: @emph{cgit} and
-@emph{gitweb}. The cgit interface should work faster than gitweb
+viewing the LilyPond Git repository online:
+@uref{http://git.sv.gnu.org/cgit/lilypond.git/, cgit} and
+@uref{http://git.sv.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=lilypond.git, gitweb}.
+
+@ignore
+The cgit interface should work faster than gitweb
in most situations, but only gitweb allows you to search through
the source code using @command{grep}, which you may find useful.
-The cgit interface is at
-@uref{http://git.sv.gnu.org/cgit/lilypond.git/} and the gitweb
-interface is at
-@uref{http://git.sv.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=lilypond.git}.
+@end ignore
Git is a complex and powerful tool, but tends to be confusing at
first, particularly for users not familiar with the command line
LilyPond Developer Remix, as discussed in @ref{Quick start}.}
+@node Summary for experienced developers
+@section Summary for experienced developers
+
+If you are already familiar with typical open-source tools, here's
+what you need to know:
+
+@itemize
+@item @strong{source repository}:
+hosted by GNU savannah.
+
+@example
+@uref{http://git.savannah.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=lilypond.git}
+@end example
+
+@item @strong{environment variables}:
+many maintenance scripts, and many instructions in this guide rely on
+predefined @ref{Environment variables}.
+
+@item @strong{mailing lists}:
+given on @rweb{Contact}.
+
+@item @strong{branches}:
+
+@itemize
+@item @code{master}:
+base your work from this, but do @strong{not push} to it.
+
+@item @code{staging}:
+after a successful review (see below), push here.
+
+@item @code{translation}:
+translators should base their work from this, and also push to it.
+
+@item @code{dev/foo}:
+feel free to push any new branch name under @code{dev/}.
+
+@end itemize
+
+@item @strong{regression tests}:
+also known as @qq{regtests}; this is a collection of more than a
+thousand .ly files. We track the output of those files between
+versions.
+
+If a patch introduces any unintentional changes to the regtests,
+we will likely reject it -- make sure that you are aware and can
+explain any regtest changes. More info in @ref{Regression tests}.
+
+@item @strong{reviews}:
+after finishing work on a patch or branch:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+upload it with our custom @code{git-cl}. In addition to uploading
+it to the google rietveld code review tool, this adds a tracker
+issue so that we don't lose your patch. The @qq{status} of your
+patch is kept on the issue tracker; see @ref{Issues}.
+
+@example
+@uref{https://github.com/gperciva/git-cl}
+@end example
+
+Your patch will be given @code{Patch-new} status. More info in
+@ref{Uploading a patch for review}.
+
+@item
+If your patch passes some automatic tests, it will be given
+@code{Patch-review} status. This generally happens within 24
+hours.
+
+@item
+After that, the patch must wait for the next @qq{patch countdown},
+which occur 3 times a week. If there are a lot of patches waiting
+for a countdown, a subset of patches are chosen randomly. When
+your patch is put on a countdown, it will be given
+@code{Patch-countdown} status.
+
+@item
+The countdown is a 48-hour period which gives other developers one
+last chance to review the patch. If no significant problems are
+found, your patch will be given @code{Patch-push} status.
+
+@item
+You may now either push it to the @code{staging} branch, or email
+your patch (created with @w{@code{git format-patch}}) to somebody
+who will push it for you.
+
+@end enumerate
+
+@advanced{Yes, this process means that most patches wait between
+60-120 hours before reaching @code{master}. This is unfortunate, but
+given our limited resources for reviewing patches and a history of
+unintended breakage in @code{master}, this is the best compromise
+we have found.}
+
+@c I don't think this is important enough to list here, but I may
+@c change my mind and/or leave a link to a later CG section.
+@ignore
+@item @strong{code style}:
+C++ code should be formatted with
+@file{scripts/auxiliar/fixcc.py}, which requires
+@url{http://astyle.sourceforge.net/, astyle 2.02}. However, we
+are not very strict about this requirement.
+
+At the moment, scheme code should be formatted @qq{like emacs does
+it}. We are working on an automated tool to simplify this step.
+However, we are not very strict about this requirement either.
+@end ignore
+
+@end itemize
+
+
@node Mentors
@section Mentors
@item
You don't need to be able to completely approve patches. Make
sure the patch meets whatever you know of the guidelines (for doc
-style, code indentation, whatever), and then send it on to the
-frog list or -devel for more comments. If you feel confident
+style, code indentation, whatever), and then send it on to -devel
+for more comments. If you feel confident
about the patch, you can push it directly (this is mainly intended
for docs and translations; code patches should almost always go to
-devel before being pushed).