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Preparing New Code for a Release

So, you want to release some code? The Ghostwriter release workflow is simple to follow. The developer of the new code must perform a few actions:
  • Update or create unit tests that cover their changes to the codebase
  • Update documentation (this wiki), as needed
  • Write an itemized CHANGELOG of their changes
Everything else is handled automatically by the continuous integration pipeline. The following sections walk you through what to do to prepare for a new release or a pull request.

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Prepare for a Release or Pull Request

  1. Review any linter alerts in VS Code (under the PROBLEMS tab in the console)
    1. See the Code Style Guide for information about linting and proper formatting
  2. Review and update wiki documentation as needed
    1. The Ghostwriter team should update the wiki immediately via a commit or edit in GitBook
    2. External contributions should submit changes as a pull request to the documentation repository
  3. Write or update unit tests for changes
  4. Run all unit tests with Python Coverage: docker-compose -f local.yml run django coverage run manage.py test
  5. Review Coverage report for changes in “missing”
    1. Run a report with “missing” displayed: docker-compose -f local.yml run django coverage report -m
    2. Look for code branches not covered by unit tests (e.g., except blocks)
  6. If Coverage reports testing gaps in new or changed code, return to step 3

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Ready to Create a Release or Pull Request

  1. Merge feature branches into a dev branch
  2. Test deployment of the new branch on a development server
  3. Test new and changed features and anything potentially affected by the changes
    1. Browse the user interface and interact with anything related to the changes
    2. If the UI has changed, thoroughly test different scenarios and observe JavaScript behavior
  4. If all is well, merge into main or create the pull request with an itemized CHANGELOG
  5. Wait some time (usually ~25 minutes) and review the results of the GitHub Actions
  6. If required Actions succeeded, the code may be merged and Ghostwriter team members will review the code prior to a release