Prototype Workflow for Managed Complexity Program

[RRosio]

Problem: The JupyterLab tech stack and build/CI systems are highly complex and under-documented in ways that can hurt new developer/contributor experiences.

Solution: We want to begin addressing these problems by building a prototype workflow using a concrete area of JupyterLab as a testcase: the build system.

• Concrete improvements to the docs
• Suggestions (to take inspiration from)
  • Checklist for PRs to ask if build system was modified
  • Well documented CI checks that look for changes (using a diff tool) to build system files to make sure that changes are properly documented and that the benefits/motivations are explained
  • Provide .diff output as an artifact on the CI run summary
  • notebook that produces the diff and explains what it is, and all the context surrounding this process and the managed complexity program.
  • This was a confusing behavior of the build system that was pointed out in the JupyterLab meeting, which can be fixed as noted by @krassowski.
  • Use epics or milestones for complexity management, and link them to releases.

This issue is a good testbed for docs working group work processes

• related to developer experience initiative in issue "Developer Experience" initiative in docs working group #24
• can also convene moot(s) for this as discussed in guide